Off-Campus Mission

"Has the president still not arrived?"

Dalena folded her arms across her chest, looking a little annoyed by the gazes fixed on them. The others beside her also looked rather unhappy.

They were all senior members of the Arcane Society. If Borne was one of the academy's top stars, then they were at least first-rate students themselves. It was only natural to attract attention. Usually, it didn't bother them, but today it felt a little strange.

They had actually known a year ago that the academy would be changing its mission system. The Arcane Society had received an [off-campus mission] last year, too, but it had only involved catching a few petty thieves. The president had gone along in person, and the job had been easy.

This year was different, though. They would have to leave Seventon, and travel quite a distance.

The important thing was that the academy had already informed the various families that they were not allowed to provide any assistance. No guards, either. Participation in the mission was voluntary. If they were afraid, they could stay behind.

The academy was trying to train its students. If they couldn't even endure this little hardship, they might as well go home and start having children instead of studying magic.

What a load of crap...

Unexpectedly, the proposal was quickly approved unanimously. Lord Concinnio had never imagined that not a single person would speak against it that day—that it would pass with every vote.

In the past, no matter how minor the matter, one or two people would always go against you. This time, they were astonishingly cooperative, even offering all kinds of suggestions for the plan.

One of the most important suggestions—the key one, in fact—was to allow casualties!

That was right. Not a death rate.

Casualties!

They could even all be wiped out!

Without anyone to protect them, accidents in the wilderness were common. The odds of the whole group being wiped out were high.

Many of the older councilors had grown up alongside Nether. They had been through plenty of things like this.

What was wrong with the education of Nether's younger generation these days? Each graduating class was worse than the last, lazing around and waiting to die. And what sort of people were in the City Guard?!

They were good at fighting over power and profit, but when a real war broke out, none of them could be relied on.

Hah... ptooey!!!

Concinnio's eyelids twitched as he listened. The more he heard, the more wrong it sounded. In the end, he waved a hand and accepted every suggestion.

Let's get this show on the road!!!

Fortunately, the higher-ups still had some sense. They didn't send every student out at once, but had the Arcane Society test things first, with the plan to gradually expand the program to the entire academy.

After all, it wasn't just the students who needed to adapt. The missions being assigned also needed to be carefully screened. They couldn't send a team of rookies to deal with a place where demons had been sealed. That wouldn't be a mission; it'd be a damn suicide run.

The missions needed to be sorted by difficulty. It would take time to work out what kinds of tasks were suitable under what conditions.

Of course, getting the hang of it took time and experience. And so, the Arcane Society's senior members were thrown in at the deep end.

Most members of the Arcane Society were scions of prominent families. As soon as they learned they would be going on a mission, they had tried to find out what had been discussed at the meeting.

At first, they had been full of confidence. After all, they had managed to stand out from countless competitors and become senior members of the Arcane Society. They had some ability.

But now that the day had come, they couldn't help feeling nervous. The gazes of the people around them only made them more irritable.

They were pioneers!

They might really become pioneers...

The group had long since lost their initial confidence. Some were even starting to lose their nerve, but they couldn't back out. If they did, they wouldn't just be kicked out of the academy; they'd be recalled by their families immediately and turned into baby-making machines!

All they could do now was count on the president. At least she had managed to bring Borne Ioulaum into the group. As Nether's youngest Arcanist in nearly a century—and the strongest person the Arcane Society had had since its founding—he gave them a lot of confidence.

The problem was that they had been waiting here for ages, and neither the president nor Borne had shown up.

"Did those two back out at the last minute?"

"They wouldn't. Something must have held them up. The president paid a huge price to bring Borne Ioulaum in."

"Oh? What price?"

"Haven't you seen? She gave Borne direct access to the research lab..."

The others exchanged speechless looks.

At first, they had had some grievances. The research lab was one of the Arcane Society's major perks. Even they couldn't just stroll in whenever they wanted. Now, it seemed the president had been very wise.

"That's not all!"

A short-haired young man spoke up. "The president also transferred her privilege of reading the Nether Scroll to Borne!"

"What?"

"Huh?!"

"Actually, the president was a little worried when she brought Borne in. I heard our mission has something to do with the Lizardfolk!"

"The Lizardfolk?"

"Yeah. The president probably knows more about the details than I do. After all, she's from the Shamsuddin House."

Cook explained.

The other three fell silent. They all knew each other well, and they knew Cook had access to military information.

Humanoid creatures were among the least popular beings with spellcasters, especially the Lizardfolk. Humanoids used tools, and had all sorts of them—particularly long-range weapons like arrows.

And the Lizardfolk happened to use bows. They were especially accurate, too.

"Oh, the president's here..." Jennifer said, looking up.

The others followed her gaze.

Lisper entered the hall in a flowing red outfit, her steps light. She immediately drew everyone's attention, and people along her path moved aside.

Her fiery red robe and red hair made her look like a blazing rose. Light glimmered faintly across the ring and necklace on her hand and neck.

"President..."

"President."

"Is this everyone? Has he not arrived yet?"

The president came over to the group, looked them over, and asked.

They exchanged glances, knowing whom she meant. Just as they were about to answer, a voice came from behind them.

"Is everyone here?!"

Only then did they notice that Borne had arrived, too. But compared to the president's magnificent attire, Borne's outfit was enough to make their jaws drop.

He wore light clothes under leather armor, with a helmet and a longsword at his waist. A backpack hung on his back, along with a steel crossbow. He was fully equipped, leaving the others staring in shock.

"President, weren't you told to get ready? Are you dressed like that because you're going to a ball?"

"Hmph. This is me at my best!"

The president was clearly displeased by Borne's teasing. Seeing his outfit, she realized she had misunderstood, but as president, she had to maintain some authority.

She turned and asked, "Have none of you prepared? Why are you still wearing your school uniforms?"

Once again, the others fell silent. After a moment, Belon finally forced himself to speak. "We came here to meet up first. We were waiting for you to tell us what to do..."

"Yeah, yeah..."

"Right. We thought we were supposed to gather first and then get the mission briefing!"

"Mhm, mhm."

Lisper: ...

To keep things from getting awkward, Lisper decided to explain the mission first.

Borne suggested, "How about we go upstairs? There are too many people here. It wouldn't be good if the mission details got out."

The president and the others immediately thought that was a great idea.

They quickly moved to a new location, heading straight for the research lab.

With fewer people watching them, the Arcane Society members finally breathed a quiet sigh of relief. They felt much more at ease, too.

They really are young. They may be senior members of the Arcane Society, but they're still sheltered from the outside world.

Seeing them reminded him of himself right after leaving school in his previous life.

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

Then she pointed to a marked spot. "This is our mission target. It's in the region west of the royal city, in a marsh near the hilly forest. There's a Lizardfolk tribe there."

Hearing that it really was the Lizardfolk, Cook and the others felt their spirits sink again, just when they had finally started to calm down.

"Our mission is to investigate why the Lizardfolk are migrating."

As president, Lisper had learned the details of the mission long ago. The Lizardfolk were notoriously difficult to deal with. The frontline legions had suffered significant losses during repeated campaigns against them, and several accompanying mages had already been killed.

Lisper understood better than anyone present what the death of an accompanying mage meant. That was why she had spared no expense to bring Borne in.

Although their mission was only to investigate, one careless mistake could mean that none of them made it back!

There would be no instructor leading them this time. If they died, they would really be dead.

"Does the president have a plan?" Belon asked.

The president thought for a moment, then replied, "Our mission is to gather information. There's no need to fight the Lizardfolk. We can start by investigating the area around their tribe. If we can get a clear picture of things, that's best. If not, we can catch a Lizardfolk and interrogate him, then withdraw quickly!"

The Arcane Society members nodded along to the president's "detailed" plan.

Borne couldn't help rubbing his forehead.

No wonder the academy's higher-ups want to introduce off-campus missions. It's just like university students going out for internships in their final year.

That damned assumption that everything was simple. Did they really think you could buy a batch of cheap goods, rent a storefront, and start selling them for a profit?

Seeing the others regain their confidence and launch into an "intense" discussion of the plan, Borne really didn't want to rain on their parade.

After thinking for one-tenth of a second, he decided to speak up.

"Um, excuse me. Can I ask a question?"

"You're part of the team, too. Of course you can make suggestions!" the president said with a smile.

"How big is the marsh in this hilly forest?"

"Hm???"

At Borne's question, the president froze. The others stopped talking, too, and looked at him in confusion.

"Didn't you look at the map? It's right there," Dalena said, shoving it in front of Borne and pointing loudly at the target.

When Borne fell silent, Dalena thought he was just being difficult and grew even angrier. She was about to keep going when Cook called out to her.

"Dalena!!!"

"?"

Seeing the expressions on the others' faces change, Dalena seemed to realize something was wrong, too.

Borne continued, "Forget how big the marsh is. This map is at least a hundred years old. Seventon has expanded to its third ring of walls, but this map only shows two..."

"Maybe... maybe the person who drew it accidentally left one out..." Dalena explained, her voice growing quieter until she finally lowered her head and fell silent.

"Other than the target, there are no clear markings anywhere else. It doesn't even show basic terrain. How are we supposed to navigate? Without landmarks along the way, we could easily lose track of where we are. We don't know if there are other dangerous areas on the route, whether we'll have to cross treacherous mountains or rivers, or if there are beast or monster territories we'll need to avoid in advance..."

"This map is full of holes. If we follow it, we might not even make it a hundred kilometers before we have to come back in disgrace."

Borne's simple analysis brought the president and the others back to their senses. They realized that the mission wasn't as straightforward as they had imagined. The test had started the moment they received the assignment.

If they couldn't even tell that there was a problem with the map, they might as well abandon the mission. Going out there would just get them killed.

After a brief moment of reflection, the president realized how large the gap was between her group and Borne. She was even more grateful that she had decided to bring him in.

She immediately handed command over to Borne in front of everyone, appointing him leader of the mission. The others had no objections.

In terms of either ability or experience, Borne was clearly far ahead of them. This mission was important, too. They would have to be idiots to keep arguing over every little thing.

Borne didn't stand on ceremony. These people were clearly rookies, so he took command and immediately assigned them a long list of things to prepare.

The first thing was to equip each person as he was. They should bring as many spare weapons as possible, and stock up on as many crossbow bolts as they could.

As for the crossbows, they could figure those out themselves. Crossbows were restricted goods for commoners, but among the noble families, there were dozens, if not hundreds.

"...Rope, tents, longswords. Hmm, that should do it. And if you have a magic bag, bring it. If you don't, then beg, borrow, or steal one. You'll need enough provisions to last a month!"

"Remember, provisions. Don't bring a bunch of random cakes and pastries!"

"Yes..."

"Got it."

Three hours later, at the academy gates.

The group met up without a hitch. Seeing their outfits, Borne nodded. Now they looked like adventurers. This wasn't child's play. Why dress up in flashy clothes? To attract fire, or advertise that they were a bunch of "fat sheep" ripe for shearing?!

"Right, follow me. Remember, don't talk unless you have to!"

The others nodded. Borne turned and set off, with the group following behind him.

Borne didn't take the main road. Instead, he led them along a side street. After passing through several alleys, he stopped beside a dilapidated carriage. He spoke quietly with the driver, then gave the others a look and climbed aboard.

Are we taking a carriage there?

But this carriage is a real wreck...

But when they saw the president climb aboard without hesitation, the others had no choice but to follow.

They were all scions of noble families, and it was their first time riding in such a shabby carriage.

The drafts were bad enough, but as soon as the carriage started moving, it creaked and groaned nonstop. They kept wondering if it was about to fall apart at any moment.

On the carriage, Borne took a few small boxes out of his bag. "Come on, do as I do. If you're not sure how, help each other. Smear some of this on your faces for a disguise. Make sure to darken any exposed skin, or people will notice you too easily."

The others didn't speak. They followed Borne's example and disguised themselves, knowing that lacking experience didn't mean they were stupid.

They worked together and finished quickly. By then, the carriage had slowed to a stop.

"Knock, knock, knock."

The driver rapped on the wooden frame to alert them. Borne lifted the curtain and climbed down first, followed by the others. A shadowy alley ran alongside them. Borne casually tossed the driver a gold coin.

The driver silently took it, turned the carriage around, and left.

"Here. Put this cloak on."

Borne took a worn gray cloak out of his bag and pulled it on.

The others were curious, but said nothing. They followed suit and put on their cloaks.

"Stay with me and don't talk. Let me repeat this! No matter who or what we run into, don't get involved, and don't say a word!"

The others nodded to show they understood.

Borne went in first. The alley was long, dark, and narrow, barely wide enough for two people to pass side by side.

There were several side paths along the way. Borne led them around a few bends, where they came across a disabled old man lying on the ground asleep.

Without waiting for the others to express their surprise, Borne stepped forward and whispered a few more words. This time, Lisper made a point of hurrying so she could hear what the man was saying, but unexpectedly—

The old man opened his eyes, glanced at Borne, then swept his gaze over the others.

They felt as though a venomous snake had fixed its eyes on them. Their mental senses sounded the alarm, and the hairs on their bodies stood on end.

They immediately realized that the unremarkable old man was far more than he seemed.

The old man shook his foot. A series of bones shifting out of place rang out, and his crooked, "crippled" ankle instantly returned to normal.

The old man went to a wall and knocked on it several times. Only then did the others realize that what looked like a brick wall was actually a door. Beyond it, a staircase led down.

The disguise was so convincing that it was almost impossible to tell apart from the real thing. Anyone unfamiliar with the place could walk right past without noticing it.

Borne passed the old man and headed down. The others were astonished, but followed close behind.

As Belon brought up the rear, he caught a glimpse out of the corner of his eye of the old man lying on the ground asleep again, once the wall had "closed."

They went down for a while, then continued along a level passage. After several turns, the view suddenly opened up.

A bustling market lay beneath the city, hidden under a ceiling of packed earth and stone.

Burning torches and glowing magical lamps hung from the surrounding walls and stone pillars.

Most of the people coming and going were dressed much like Borne's group, in adventurers' gear and carrying weapons. They looked like the sort you'd best not mess with. Some wore cloaks or masks to conceal their identities.

The one thing this market had in common with any other was the din: haggling and arguments rang out without end, and "peddlers" lined both sides of the road.

They had all kinds of goods. The members of the Arcane Society broadened their horizons in an instant. There were not only all manner of precious magical materials, but also enchanted items, weapons, and more.

Some of the weapons and pieces of equipment even bore bloodstains.

Of course, not everything was for sale. Plenty of people were willing to trade, too, and a sign beside each lot listed the items its owner wanted in exchange.

By now, they knew where they were without Borne having to say a word.

The Black Market!