Campus Mission

"Hasn't the President arrived yet?"

Dalena crossed her arms over her chest, visibly irritated by the surrounding gazes, while the expressions of those beside her were equally grim.

These few were all high-ranking officials of the Arcane Society. If Borne was the "top-tier" talent of the academy, they were at least first-rate; it was normal to attract attention, but the atmosphere today felt strange.

In truth, they had known for a year that the academy would reform its mission system. The Arcane Society had received [Off-Campus Missions] last year, but those had only involved catching a few petty thieves, and the President had handled them personally, making them simple affairs.

But this year was different; they had to leave Seventon, and the destination was quite far.

The critical part was that the academy had notified every family involved: no outside help was permitted, no bodyguards were to be brought along, and the missions were strictly voluntary—if you were afraid, you didn't have to go.

The academy's original intent was to temper the students. If they couldn't even withstand this level of hardship, they might as well go home and start a family instead of studying magic.

Study, my ass...

Unexpectedly, this proposal was passed unanimously in short order. Concinnio had never imagined that not a single person would object, resulting in a unanimous vote.

In the past, no matter how trivial the matter, there was always one or two people who would oppose him. This time, they were surprisingly cooperative, even offering various suggestions and plans.

One of the most important, and indeed the most critical, was the allowance for sacrifice!

Yes, not just a mortality rate.

Sacrifice!

Total annihilation was even a possibility!

It was common to encounter accidents in the wild without protection, and the probability of a total party wipe was high.

Many of the older generation of councilors had grown up alongside Netheril; they had experienced such things many times.

Look at how the younger generation of Netheril was being educated now—each graduating class was worse than the last, wasting their days waiting for death. And the city guard? A bunch of useless trash!

They were adept at power struggles, but when a real war broke out, not one of them could be relied upon.

PHEH... PTUI!!!

Concinnio's eyelids twitched as he listened, finding it increasingly bizarre. Finally, he waved his hand and adopted every single suggestion.

Let's do this!!!

Fortunately, those at the top still retained some sanity; they didn't throw all the students out at once, but instead let the Arcane Society test the waters before gradually expanding it to the entire academy.

Because it wasn't just the students who needed to adapt; the assigned missions also required strict screening. You couldn't just send a team of rookies to handle a demonic seal—that wasn't a mission, that was a death sentence.

Mission difficulty needed to be categorized. What conditions were suitable for what missions—all of this required time to refine.

Of course, refinement required time and experience. And so, the high-ranking members of the Arcane Society were pushed into the deep end.

The Arcane Society was composed primarily of children from various noble families, and from the moment they learned they were to undertake missions, they had inquired extensively about the content of the meeting.

At first, they were full of confidence; after all, they had some capital to their names, having stood out among many competitors to become high-ranking officials of the Arcane Society.

But as the day arrived, they couldn't help but feel nervous, especially with the surrounding gazes making them even more restless.

Pioneers, huh!

Who knows, they might truly become the "pioneered"...

The group had long since lost their initial bravado and were feeling rather hollow, but they couldn't back out. If they quit now, they wouldn't just be unable to stay at the academy; they would be immediately recalled to their families to become breeding stock!

Now, they were pinning all their hopes on the President. Fortunately, the President had brought Borne Ioulaum into the fold. As the youngest Arcanist in Netheril in nearly a hundred years, and arguably the most powerful person since the founding of the Arcane Society, he gave them a significant boost in confidence.

Yet, they had been waiting here for half the day, and there was still no sign of the President or Borne.

"Could those two have gotten cold feet at the last minute?"

"Unlikely. They must have been delayed by something. The President paid a heavy price to bring Borne Ioulaum on board."

"Oh? What price?"

"Haven't you noticed the President granted Borne direct access to the laboratory..."

The group fell silent, exchanging glances.

In truth, they had harbored some resentment at first. The laboratory was a major benefit of the Arcane Society, and even they couldn't just walk in whenever they pleased. Now, they realized how wise the President had been.

"It seems it's more than just that!"

At this moment, a short-haired youth spoke up, "The President even transferred her own privilege—the opportunity to read the Nether Scroll—to Borne!"

"What?"

"Huh?!"

"Actually, the President was a bit worried, which is why she brought Borne in. It's said our mission involves the Lizardfolk!"

"Lizardfolk?"

"Yes. The President should know more about the specific details than I do, after all, she is from the Shamsuddin family."

Cook said.

The other three fell silent. They all knew each other's backgrounds well, and they were aware that Cook had access to military intelligence.

Humanoids were the least favorite targets for spellcasters, especially Lizardfolk, because humanoids used tools—and a diverse array of them at that, particularly long-range weapons like arrows.

As it happened, Lizardfolk were proficient with bows and arrows, and they were the particularly accurate kind.

"Oh, the President is here..."

Jennifer, standing to the side, looked up and spoke.

The group followed her gaze.

Lisper walked into the hall in a crimson outfit with a light, graceful gait, instantly drawing everyone's attention as people along the way parted to make room for her.

Her fiery red robes paired with her red hair made her look like a blooming flame rose, while the ring and necklace she wore shimmered with faint, flowing light.

"President..."

"President."

"Is this all of you? Has he not arrived yet?"

The President walked up to the group, scanned them, and asked.

The few exchanged glances, knowing exactly who the President was referring to, and just as they were about to speak, a voice came from behind.

"Is everyone here yet?!"

Only then did the group notice that Borne had arrived as well, though compared to the President's magnificent attire, Borne's outfit was truly shocking.

He was dressed in light gear covered by leather armor, wearing a helmet, with a longsword hanging at his waist. Not only was he carrying a backpack, but a steel crossbow was strapped to it as well; his fully armed appearance left the others stunned.

"President, didn't you tell us to get ready? Are you planning to attend a ball dressed like that..."

"Hmph, this is my strongest state!"

The President was clearly dissatisfied with Borne's teasing, and seeing his attire, she realized she had misunderstood, but as the President, she had to maintain some prestige.

She immediately turned and asked, "Did you lot not prepare? Why are you still wearing your school uniforms?"

The group was speechless for a moment before Belon bit the bullet and said, "We were just gathering here first, waiting for your instructions, President..."

"Yeah, yeah..."

"Right, we thought we were supposed to gather before being briefed on the mission!"

"Mm, mm."

Lisper: ...

To avoid an awkward situation, Lisper decided to announce the mission details first.

At this moment, Borne suggested, "Why don't we head upstairs? There are too many ears here, and it wouldn't be good to leak the mission details."

The President and the others immediately felt this was an excellent suggestion.

They promptly changed locations, heading straight to the research lab.

With fewer people watching, the members of the Arcane Society breathed a sigh of relief, their moods lifting significantly.

They are still young after all; although they are cadres of the Arcane Society, they are no match for the outside world.

Seeing them reminded her of herself just after leaving campus in her past life.

Lisper took out a scroll and spread it open; it was a map.

She then pointed to the markings on it and said, "This is our mission objective: the Lizardfolk tribe located in the region west of the Royal City, near the swampy area by the hilly forest."

Hearing that it was truly the Lizardfolk, the mood that Cook and the others had just managed to stabilize sank once more.

"Our mission is to investigate the reason for the Lizardfolk's migration."

As President, Lisper had long since learned the details of the mission. The Lizardfolk were notoriously difficult to deal with; the front-line legions had suffered heavy losses while trying to suppress them, and several embedded mages had already been killed.

Lisper knew better than anyone present what the death of an embedded mage meant; otherwise, she wouldn't have gone to such lengths to drag Borne into this.

Although the mission was only to investigate, one wrong move could mean that none of them would make it back!

There was no mentor leading the team this time; if they died, they were truly dead.

"Does the President have a plan?"

Belon asked.

The President pondered for a moment and said, "Our mission is to gather intelligence, so there is no need to clash with the Lizardfolk. We can start by observing the situation around the tribe. If we can investigate clearly, that would be best; if not, we can capture a single Lizardfolk, interrogate it, and then retreat quickly!"

The President's 'detailed' plan made the members of the Arcane Society nod repeatedly.

Seeing this, Borne couldn't help but rub his forehead.

No wonder the academy's top brass wants to push for off-campus missions; it's the same logic as students in their final year of university applying for internships in the real world.

This damn sense of entitlement—do they really think that just by getting a batch of cheap goods and setting up a storefront, they can sell things, make money, and become bosses...

Seeing the group regain their confidence and begin a 'heated' discussion about the plan, Borne really didn't want to pour cold water on them.

After thinking for a tenth of a second, Borne decided to speak up.

"Um, sorry to interrupt, but can I ask a question?"

"You are a member of the team, so of course you can offer suggestions!"

The President smiled.

"How large is the swamp in these hilly forests?"

"Huh???"

Hearing Borne's question, the Guild Leader froze, and the few people beside him stopped their discussion, looking at Borne in confusion.

"Did you not look at the map? Isn't it marked on there?"

Dalena pushed the map directly in front of Borne, pointing at the destination on it and speaking loudly.

Seeing Borne remain silent, Dalena assumed he was just looking for trouble and grew even more indignant; just as she was about to continue, she was called out by Cook at her side.

"Dalena!!!"

"?"

Seeing the expressions of those around them gradually shift, Dalena seemed to realize something.

At this moment, Borne continued, "Setting aside the size of the swamp, this map is at least a hundred years old. Seventon has already expanded to its third wall, yet this only shows two..."

"It... it could be that the person who drew it accidentally missed..."

Dalena explained, her voice growing quieter until she lowered her head and fell silent.

"Aside from the destination, there are no clear markings elsewhere. There isn't even the most basic terrain labeling. How are we supposed to travel? Without landmarks along the way, we won't know where we are. We don't know if there are other dangerous areas, if we need to cross treacherous mountains and rivers, or if there are regions with wild beasts or monsters that need to be avoided in advance..."

"This map is riddled with holes. If we follow it, we'll likely be crawling back in disgrace before we've even gone a hundred kilometers."

After Borne's simple analysis, the Guild Leader and the others realized with a jolt that this mission was not as simple as they had imagined. They hadn't expected the test to begin the moment they accepted the task.

If they hadn't even realized there was a problem with the map, they shouldn't even bother with the mission; going would just be throwing their lives away.

After a brief internal struggle, the Guild Leader realized the gap between himself and Borne, feeling all the more fortunate that his decision to bring Borne into the fold had been the right one.

He immediately handed over command to Borne in front of everyone, appointing him as the leader for this mission, to which the others had no objections.

Whether in terms of strength or experience, Borne was clearly leagues ahead of them. Since this mission was so important, anyone who still quibbled over such things would have to be brainless.

Borne did not stand on ceremony. Seeing that these few were clearly rookies, he took command and immediately laid out a list of requirements, telling them to go and prepare.

The first thing was for everyone to be equipped with a set of gear matching his own, with as many spare weapons as possible and as many crossbow bolts as they could carry.

As for the crossbows, they would have to find a way to get them themselves. The restriction on crossbows only applied to the lower-class commoners; noble families had dozens, if not hundreds, at their disposal.

"...hemp rope, tents, longswords—yes, that's about it. Also, it would be best to bring magic pouches. If you don't have one, beg, borrow, or steal to get one. Bring enough dry rations for a month!"

"Remember, dry rations! Don't bring any of those messy cakes or pastries!"

"Yes..."

"Understood."

Three hours later, at the academy gate.

The group met up successfully. Seeing their attire, Borne nodded; this looked more like an adventurer's getup. It wasn't a game of house—dressing up in flashy clothes was just asking to be targeted or advertising oneself as a 'fat sheep' to be slaughtered!

"Alright, follow me now. Remember, do not speak unless necessary!"

Seeing them nod, Borne turned and walked away, the group following behind him.

Borne did not take the main road, instead leading them through side streets. After passing through several alleys, Borne walked up to a dilapidated carriage, whispered a few words to the driver, then signaled to the group and climbed in first.

Are we really taking a carriage?

But this carriage is way too beat up...

However, seeing the Guild Leader climb in without hesitation, the others had no choice but to follow.

They were all children of noble families; this was their first time riding in such a wretched carriage.

It wasn't just that the wind blew through the gaps; as the carriage began to move, the whole thing creaked and groaned incessantly. They all wondered if it would fall apart on the spot.

Inside the carriage, Borne took some small boxes out of his pack. "Come, follow my lead. If you don't know how, help each other. Apply some camouflage to your faces, especially on exposed skin—make it dark, otherwise, it's easy to be spotted."

The group didn't speak, instead copying Borne's actions to camouflage themselves. They lacked experience, but that didn't mean they were stupid.

They coordinated with each other and finished quickly. Just then, the carriage slowed down until it came to a stop.

Thump, thump, thump.

The driver knocked on the wooden frame as a signal. Borne lifted the curtain and stepped out first, followed by the others. Beside them was a dark, narrow path. Borne casually tossed a gold coin to the driver.

The driver took it without a word, turned the carriage around, and left immediately.

"Here, put this cloak on."

Borne took a tattered gray cloak from his pack and pulled it on.

The others were curious but remained silent, each following suit and changing into the cloaks.

"Follow me, and do not speak. Remember, I will emphasize this again! No matter who or what you encounter, do not get involved, and do not speak!"

The group nodded to show they understood.

Borne led the way inside. The alley was long, dark, and narrow, barely wide enough for two people to walk side-by-side.

There were many intersections along the way. Borne led the group, turning several corners, until they found a disabled old man sleeping on the ground.

Before the others could express their surprise, Borne stepped forward and whispered a few more words. This time, Lisper hurried to listen closely, wanting to hear what that guy Borne was saying, but she didn't expect—

The old man opened his eyes, glanced at Borne, and then swept his gaze over the rest of the group.

Everyone felt as if they were being stared at by a venomous snake; their mental warnings flared, and the hair on their bodies stood on end.

The group immediately realized that this unassuming old man was hiding his true depth.

The old man shook his leg, and a series of bone-cracking sounds echoed out as his previously bent, "crippled" ankle instantly returned to normal.

The old man walked over to a wall and knocked on it a few times. Only then did the group realize that the wall, which had appeared to be made of bricks, was actually a door, and behind it lay a staircase leading downward.

This camouflage was so realistic it could fool anyone; if someone unfamiliar had walked by, they never would have noticed it.

Borne walked past the old man and headed down. Though the others behind him were quite astonished, they followed closely in his footsteps.

As the wall "closed" behind them, Belon, who was walking at the very back, caught a glimpse out of the corner of his eye of the old man returning to his "crippled" state and lying back down on the ground to sleep.

After descending for a distance, the path leveled out, and after rounding a few corners, their field of vision suddenly opened up.

This was a bustling market, seemingly hidden beneath the city, with a ceiling composed of earth and masonry overhead.

The surrounding walls and stone pillars were adorned with either burning torches or glowing magical lamps.

Most of the people coming and going were similar to Borne's group, dressed in adventurer's gear and carrying weapons, looking like people not to be trifled with; some also wore cloaks or masks to conceal their identities.

The only thing they had in common was that this market was just as noisy as any other, with the sounds of haggling and arguing filling the air, and many "vendors" set up on both sides of the path.

There was all sorts of merchandise, and the members of the Arcane Society had their horizons broadened in an instant; not only were there various precious magical materials, but also enchanted items, weapons, and more.

Some of the weapons and equipment even had bloodstains on them.

Of course, not everything was for sale; there were quite a few people trading goods, with signs placed next to their wares listing the items they wanted in exchange.

By this point, Borne didn't need to say a word; they already knew exactly where they were.

The Black Market!