Deep within a forest, with a nice spread-out mix of deciduous and evergreen trees, the sound of screaming could be heard.
Not the kind of scream you would get from someone being butchered by a masked man with a bloody machete, nor the cry you hear from someone made from thrill like on a rollercoaster.
It was a scream of pure, unbridled terror of someone fleeing for their life.
The undergrowth of the forest rustled as someone ran through them.
A young black-haired girl in her mid-teens, wearing a blue uniform, burst into view.
Her face was covered in sweat and dirt, leaves and twigs were stuck in her hair, pieces of her uniform were torn, and light wounds were seen all over her body.
Yet, the most prominent thing anyone would notice if she were to run past them would be her speed.
It was abnormally fast.
30km/h fast using Earth measurements, which were basically the identical measurements on Solaris and Lunara.
A most curious similarity that might someday be unveiled.
Going at such a fast speed non-stop in a forest, you'd expect the girl to either give out after five minutes or crash into a tree.
However, on the contrary, the girl wove through the trees with-
Well, not with ease, as she stumbled a few times from a root or a rock, but she moved through the trees as though she had practiced beforehand.
If we had a closer examination of the girl, we would find an expression that is a mixture of terror and tiredness.
Obviously, she is running away from something, but what?
Our answer grows clear when sudden shaking, thumping and crashing can be heard in the forest that draws ever closer to the girl.
The noises grew louder and louder then, the trees rustled before-
*Crash!*
"ROAR!"
A giant, 18ft tall, hairless humanoid with dull grayish skin, bulging arm muscles, stubby legs, and a round bulging tummy tore apart the trees with a large, crude wooden club.
It was ghastly. The beast had long, cracked yellow nails, tusks made for gouging its prey's vitals, small beady eyes, a flat snake-like nose, and a putrid breath that could make fresh flowers wilt upon contact.
Covering the giant monster was a dirty, brown stained loincloth that god knows how long it's last been washed.
Upon hearing the monster's roar, the girl made a quick glance over her back and, after catching a glimpse of the grey monster. The girl ran harder than before.
The beast saw her and let loose a roar before giving chase once again.
With the monster on her heels and not knowing if she was going to escape alive, she decided to vent her feelings.
"DAMN THAT MUSTACHE-TWIRLING OLD LUNATIC! HOW THE HELL DID HE CONVINCE ME TO DO THIS!?!
WHICH SANE PERSON WOULD TRAIN SOMEONE BY HAVING THEM GET CHASED BY A TROLL!?!
WHEN I MAKE IT OUT OF HERE ALIVE, I'M GOING TO RIP THAT ANNOYING LIP HAIR OF HIS OFF HIS FACE!!!"
That mustache-twirling lunatic the girl refers to was her familiar and the novel's protagonist, Charles.
The girl being chased by the gray monster (the troll) was none other than Lilith.
Let's rewind back a few days to see how she ended up in such a situation.
[Three days ago. Back in the cafeteria from the last chapter.]
"WHY THE HELL DID YOU DO THAT!?"
Why on Lunara did this old man have to come and make things worse!?!
How am I, a girl unable to use magic, supposed to obtain the strength to defeat a Second Circle Mage who could kill me from twenty feet away before I could get a chance to move or react!?
I swear if he made me schedule the match one week earlier for no good reason. I'm going to lose my mind.
My annoying familiar's lips curved upward, smiling.
At least, that's what I think his lips are doing. It's hard to tell with that enormous moustache of his. Have any of his acquaintances or friends told him he should shave it?
Helen voiced similar concerns. Concerns about me winning against Drill Head, not the moustache part.
"I also wonder why you made her schedule the duel one week earlier. I admit I may have underestimated your strength in your duel with Albert, given your age.
However, just because you are strong doesn't mean you can train her up to the level of a Second-Circle Mage in a week.
As annoying as she is, Florence is considered to be a prodigy among the youths in Beland, given how she only started training in magic at a later age than most and has already reached the peak of a Second-Circle Mage.
I highly doubt that you'll be able to train Lilith, a person who can't use a Light Spell, to be able to go toe-to-toe with such a formidable opponent."
She then turned toward me and added.
"No offense, Lilith."
"None taken, your Highness. I know full well where my capabilities lie, and combat is not one of them!"
In response to our doubt, Sir Charles laughed.
"Hahahahaha! Is that all you're worried about?"
I reply.
"No, actually, I'm also worried that her supporters might constantly harass me and cause my grades to drop from stress."
Sir Charles became silent and thought about my words while stroking his moustache. After several moments of silence, he announced his solution.
"I believe this issue can be solved if you were to have someone of considerable authority escort you at all times, someone that no one would dare question, someone close to you, someone you can trust your back to, and also appear as a neutral arbiter to make things fair so they don't suffer the backlash of being associated with you."
Where on earth would I find someone like that? Pretty much everyone who's ever heard the name Sharon hates us.
My familiar turned his eyes toward Helen. Then back to me. Then to Helen. Then back to me. He repeated these motions several times like the pendulum of a grandfather clock.
No.
No way.
He better not be suggesting what I think he is.
Before either me or my familiar could blurt our thoughts out. Helen beat us to the punch.
"Sir Charles, Lilith, if you two don't mind, I would like to be the escort."
Damn it.
Ignoring my inner turmoil, Sir Charles asked Helen.
"An excellent proposition, Miss Helen! However, I have to ask if you have spare time for the task. As a member of Royalty, you must have to manage many things. I don't wish to burden you from being able to do your work with something that could potentially tarnish your reputation."
What!?
Are you suggesting that I'm useless baggage!?!
Although you haven't said it yet, but aren't you the one who secretly wants Helen to act as my guardian!?
There is no way you're making me spend an entire week of school classes next to that ruthless psychopath!!!
I looked at Helen to see what her response was. Hopefully, she'd refuse.
Please, Lady Vera! Do not let me spend a week with her! I'd rather get harassed by everyone for a week and have my head stomped on again than spend time with her!
Alas, my hopes were dashed.
"Do not worry, Sir Charles, I have already finished most of the work papers and documents I needed to do for this week. "
Charles nodded, satisfied with her answer.
"Excellent news! It's a good habit to finish work early."
Wait, did you not hear the part about work papers and documents? She didn't say homework, you deaf old coot! What sort of fifteen-year-old takes care of work papers and documents!? Does she secretly run Beland or something!?
Ignoring my raging thoughts, Charles asked.
"Do either of you know where I must order food? I was told this was the cafeteria, but I don't see any food booths or buffet stations."
I briefly explained how to order food in the cafeteria and gave him one of the menus at the entrance. After which, I regretted it.
"I see. This is extremely fascinating! Instant food created via magic that could be quickly distributed to a large populace? Hmm, this is quite an advanced concept. The closest thing we had were machines that could quickly cook these "fast foods," which were just potatoes thrown into a vat of oil and these sandwiches with nicely roasted pieces of beef thrown between some vegetables and held together with two pieces of bread.
For food that's as complex as a cheesecake to be made instantaneously. This is revolutionary! Why on Solar-!
This isn't Solaris, but Lunara. Still! Why does this world have the method to create food out of nothing? This is very advanced for a supposed technologically lacking planet, as Lady Ishta said. What is it that she's hiding from me? I feel that I'm missing several key puzzle pieces."
I felt that I was hearing things I was not supposed to have heard, so I decided to explain to him how the food wasn't magically conjured out of thin air.
I already have my hands full with the upcoming next week's duel. I'll need all the training I can get. There's no time for me to be curious about conspiracies that involve gods and other worlds.
"Um, Sir Charles. The food was actually pre-cooked several days ago and stored in an Ice Room before being taken out and thawed or heated up by the Fairies. Who then use their magic to teleport the food to the student who ordered.
Also, we're probably the only school in the entire continent that hires Fairies as kitchen staff due to how reclusive Fairies are and how many people wish to capture them for research, experiments and other inhumane practices, so please don't get the wrong idea that everyone on Lunara could magically summon already prepared food out of thin air. If that were possible, poverty and famine would no longer be a thing."
Charles stared at me, and I stared back at him.
An awkward silence pervaded throughout the cafeteria.
Eventually, the silence was broken by Helen.
"Sir Charles, would you like a demonstration of how food is ordered?"
I'm not going to lie. When she spoke using that typical serious, cold and professional voice of hers, it sounded like she was talking to someone younger than her or with mental disabilities.
I know I shouldn't find such a thing amusing, but I couldn't help but let a small smile creep on my face as I struggled not to laugh.
Apparently, Charles noticed as well. He covered his mouth with a gloved hand and let out a slight cough of embarrassment.
*Ahem!*
"Miss Helen, I am perfectly capable of ordering from a menu by myself."
Lilith's eyes widened as she realized what she just said.
"My apologies, Sir Charles. I did not mean to be rude. The silence felt awkward, and I hoped to break it somehow."
Charles waved off her apology.
"Don't worry about it, Miss Helen. I know that you meant well. Now then, since I'm going to be ordering, would the two of you like to join me for lunch? I'm afraid I haven't eaten anything since I've been summoned to this world."
We both responded positively.
"Normally, I'd eat a meal prepared by my maid in a private room so that I could work while not being disturbed."
"I'll join as well. I only had a slice of cheesecake and a cup of black tea before that annoying blonde barged in."
The three of us took a seat at the long tables. We picked up the menus left behind by the students and sat down to order.
I ordered pasta made from grains imported from the Lunaris Theocracy.
Helen ordered a soup filled with spices from the southern beastman country, Bermun.
Lastly, Charles ordered roasted steak with vegetables, the steak coming from a domesticated Minos Bull.
Helen and I's orders came instantly, with our menus disappearing before the dishes we ordered appeared instantly in front of us.
The same couldn't be said for Charles. After he ordered his meal and the menu disappeared, there was...
Nothing.
The dish he ordered didn't appear in front of him at all.
Charles perplexedly asked.
"Miss Helen and Miss Lilith, I believe you both said that the cafeteria always delivered the ordered food on time, correct?"
"Yes."
"Certainly."
This is strange. The orders usually arrive almost instantaneously. Is it perhaps he doesn't have one of the Identification Orbs?
As I was about to offer to order for Sir Charles, a sudden blinding flash of light disoriented the three of us.
When we came about from our temporarily impaired vision, we saw a magnificent sight to behold.
The entire long table we were sitting at, which could house over two hundred students, was covered in a magnificent feast.
Anything you can name, it was on there.
The roasted meat from a rare animal, such as a Roc?
Check.
Stew made from some of the deadliest marine life such as the Kraken?
Check.
Legendary golden fruits that were borne from the mythical tree, Yggdrasil, the Elvarian Elves and Spirits worship and guard with zeal?
Check.
Hold on.
Golden fruits from Yggdrasil?
I blinked my eyes twice to make sure I wasn't seeing things.
Sitting right in front of Charles was a pile of golden apple-like fruits that emanated a pure holy and wild energy, sitting next to a plate of steak.
Helen and I were stunned speechless at the sight of the legendary-
*Crunch!*
"Hmm, not bad at all! It's got the nice crispness that I like and a delicious natural taste that reminds me of honey. My compliments to the gardener who grew these fruits!"
...
Did this man just critique the Legendary Eternal Fruit as though it were an apple presented to him at a commoner's crop competition!?!
You realize that the Golden Fruit of Yggdrasil is a treasure coveted by all mortal kings and powerhouses on Lunara due to its rumoured ability to restore one's youth and increase a person's vitality and magical abilities!?!
Don't just munch on it like it's a snack! Show some awe and worship that you're getting such a godly treasure!
Hold on.
I think I'm missing something.
That's when my attention shifted to the large pile of uneaten golden (apple?) fruits that lay still uneaten in front of Charles.
"Why do you have that many Eternal Fruits!?! They're not something that you can obtain from a local peasants' market unless you're an Elf, Spirit or Deity of some sort!"
Helen joined in.
"I agree with Lilith, those fruits you are nonchalantly eating without a care can be considered a national treasure. In the past, many nations have gone to war against the elves to obtain even a single apple."
Charles looked up at us with a questioning look.
"Are you sure, they're that impressive? It just tastes like an apple to me."
...
Me and Helen both yell.
"THAT IS UTTER BLASHEMY!!! DO YOU KNOW HOW BLESSED YOU ARE TO-"
Pain suddenly struck my mouth as something hard was smacked against it.
I let out a cry of pain and glared at my familiar.
Helen also had a similar hostile look as she was clenching and rubbing her lips with her hand.
"What the hell! What-"
*Sigh!*
Sir Charles shushed me.
"Can the both of you calm down and eat the g*ddamn apple?"
We look down at what struck us across the mouth. The both of us gasped with shock.
"Is this-"
"One of the golden-"
*ACK!*
*ARG!*
Helen and I unceremoniously gagged as that damned familiar of mine decided to shove the Golden Fruits into our mouths.
With the Golden Fruits stuck in our mouths, we had no choice but to take a bite of the sacred fruit of the gods.
Oh, how it filled me with pain being forced to take a bite of such a precious treasure!
*Crunch!*
*Crunch!*
I savoured the Golden Fruit while weeping silent tears.
I must etch the taste of this into my very bones, nay! My very existence!
"So, how is it?"
Learn to be quiet for once you chatty old man!