The group took advantage of a brief rest period until around 11 in the morning, by which time they had recovered a significant amount of stamina and mana. During this interval, they decided to return to the field, not for a full expedition but merely to face an enemy and thus increase their level.
Therefore, they went to the field to determine at which level of creatures and animals they would begin to receive 4 points.
As they entered the field, they encountered a considerable challenge: a level 49 Minotaur. This sparked a heated discussion about the feasibility of attacking such a powerful enemy. Lucca, however, argued that the group's hesitation was related to the incident of the previous day rather than the actual ability to face the challenge. The group, considering Lucca's perspective, agreed to proceed. With that, Lucca led the attack.
A little later, a notification appeared:
{Level 49 Minotaur defeated by you}
"See? It wasn't so difficult!" commented Lucca, sitting on the ground with a satisfied smile.
All the group members rolled their eyes simultaneously, as it was undeniable that he had nearly depleted his mana reserves during that battle.
In response to this comment, Alice intervened: "We were lucky not to encounter any other distractions and to choose a suitable hunting location," accompanying her words with a reassuring smile.
Thus, they concluded their hunting session and began the return to the fortress. However, during the journey back, they were forced to run when they encountered a horde of wild boars.
Upon their return to the fortress, they headed to the tent to submit the Minotaur. Upon arrival, the person in charge greeted them with a sarcastic comment about their stubbornness, emphasizing that even without knowing from which level they would start receiving 4 points, they decided to return to the field in the same morningHowever, he acknowledged that this stubbornness paid off since they finally hit the right level!
Despite the joy of success, Alice expressed a mix of happiness and concern. The prospect of hunting level 49 enemies while the group was at level 16, almost 17, left her with a pensive and complicated expression. She feared that this would overload the group, compromising its efficiency, and the calculations simply didn't seem to add up.
Consequently, the group decided to recharge their energies, as they were aware of the need to go out hunting again in the afternoon.
Already in the afternoon, fully recovered, the group headed back to the field. Along the way, Alice voiced her concern: "Shall we hunt level 46 enemies or stick with level 49?" She spoke with an apprehensive tone, as the goal was to win the camp, and killing only two level 49 enemies, generating just 8 points, didn't seem like the most efficient strategy. She suggested hunting three level 47 enemies, which would be more advantageous.
"Level 49!" replied Lucca. For him, the classification wasn't a priority; he simply wanted to level up and gain more status. Hunting level 49 enemies would be a significant advantage in achieving that goal.
They opted to conduct a vote to determine the decision, and the result was in favor of Lucca, choosing to hunt level 49 enemies.
Thus, they began their hunts.
{You defeated a level 49 ant}
{You defeated a level 49 horned rabbit}
{You defeated a level 49 satyr}
After defeating the satyr, they decided to rest for a short period. Lucca, reflecting on the battle, commented, "I even thought we wouldn't manage to kill the third one," expressing his words with deliberate pauses between each.
"That was my fear!" replied Alice, rolling her eyes in agreement.
Later, they returned to the fortress to submit the obtained prey.
This became Lucca's routine throughout the week. The teacher, in turn, kept them away from the city, claiming they were too tired and still below the points needed for a positive evaluation. Therefore, leaving for the city was not allowed.
The long-awaited Friday arrived, and many students, aware of the teacher's warning about the need to accumulate points, woke up early. Lucca's group, aligned with this concern, also got up earlier to make the most of the available time, even though Lucca already thought they should be in the first place. Nonetheless, Alice insisted.
While the group enjoyed breakfast in the cafeteria, Lucca, observing the surroundings, noticed something that intrigued him. He asked Alice and Ana in a low voice, not to be heard by the other group, "Who is that with white hair and brown eyes?" as his eyes fixed on the person in question.
Alice and Ana looked to the side, and Alice was the first to respond: "Anthony, from the House Gracewood!" Alice revealed, with no particular reaction or facial expression.
"And what title does that house hold?" Lucca inquired.
"Duke," answered Alice.
Ana continued where Alice left off: "The family belongs to the same king you serve. How do you not know who they are, and you've never heard of them?" She spoke with an indignant tone.
"First, I don't serve any king, and second, I've never seen them, so I don't know," expressed Lucca.
Everyone burst into laughter at Lucca's claim of not serving anyone. Aware of the impracticality of such a statement in their noble world, Ana stepped in, attempting to alleviate the tension. "The world doesn't work that way, Lucca. Each of us has our roles and responsibilities, particularly in the intricate web of nobility and its expectations."
But Lucca didn't even care about the laughter. He interrupted and steered the conversation towards what interested him, saying, "Is he really important?"
"Of course he is. He's the son of a Duke; it's clear that he's important. Moreover, he is the heir to his father's position," replied Alice, disappointed that Lucca wasn't familiar with noble matters, despite being a noble of a similar status to hers.
Lucca then leaned in a bit more, lowering his voice. "And if someone wanted to kill him, who would it be?"
The group, surprised by the directness of the question, fell into silence. Alice, quickly reacting to Lucca's boldness, spoke, changing her tone drastically. "You're aware that this is an extremely serious accusation, right? Are you sure about what you're saying?" She displayed an angry and authoritative expression, contrasting with her previous demeanor. The tension at the table was palpable.