"So, who are we up against? We need to make them pay for this mess."
Asuka pointed at the ground, where food was scattered messily. His eyes sparkled with murderous intent. Helmut responded calmly,
"Our opponent is an assassin with skills comparable to a first-class mercenary. I only saw one, but there could be more."
Considering the aura, traces, and other factors, the number of enemies shouldn't be large. At most, they had one primary actor with minor accomplices.
If there were several first-class mercenaries, they wouldn't have hesitated to confront Helmut directly. They wouldn't have resorted to targeting his classmates with such a roundabout method.
Complicated methods indicate the tactics of the weak. They choose such strategies because they lack the confidence to win head-on.
Hearing about a first-class mercenary-level opponent, the group exchanged tense glances.
"How strong is a first-class mercenary?"
"Recognized even by the Imperial Knights of the Empire. Probably among the stronger instructors at the academy."
"Like Instructor Ethan Kudro?"
"Yes."
"So, a very strong opponent."
"Obviously. Why else would they threaten to kill all of us?"
"Are you trying to scare us?"
"Is this some surprise assignment from the instructors?"
Dino and James showed skepticism, but Helmut's succinct reply quelled their doubts.
"Believe it or not, that's up to you."
There was no energy to persuade those unwilling to listen.
Helmut acknowledged his priorities. His concern extended only to Asuka. He could afford to abandon the others if they proved to be a nuisance.
The team sensed this instinctively.
"Damn, I've never been in this situation before."
"Who would've thought? Came here for a fun hunting trip, now targeted by an assassin."
Asuka casually asked,
"Don't nobles experience assassination attempts during succession disputes?"
"My brother and I get along well."
"My sibling is only three years old. Would they plot to kill me? They can't even manage their bathroom habits yet."
"Our family determines the successor through legitimate competition."
"Really? More peaceful than I expected."
Asuka nodded, seemingly relaxed.
They were, after all, the top second-year students of the Swordsmanship Department, including the first and second ranks. Yet, aside from Helmut, they lacked real combat experience, especially in the woods against an assassin.
However, despite the abrupt news, their ability to suppress fear was largely due to the calm demeanor of the first and second ranks.
Helmut and Asuka were composed. Helmut was confident he could handle the situation regardless, while Asuka was simply brazen.
Fear is contagious, but these two had a presence strong enough to override the group's fear.
No one blamed Helmut for the fear, considering it unbecoming of a swordsman.
Andro, James, and Dino, all from sword-bearing families, were young but not so fragile as to whine about such matters.
"What do we do now?"
"Right, the crystal! Let's use the crystal to contact them. Who has the communication crystal?"
"I do."
Asuka raised his hand, searching his pockets.
"Huh? It's not here? I definitely put it in my pocket!"
Scrambling through his belongings, Asuka found nothing.
"Gone! Where did it go? Ah, damn, why is it missing?"
"Hey, you idiot!"
"Where did you drop it?"
"If you weren't sure you could keep it safe, you shouldn't have taken it!"
The team exploded in anger, but Asuka, unapologetically brazen, shouted back,
"Quiet! How do you know the assassin didn't steal it? You wouldn't even notice if he was standing right behind you!"
Though it seemed clear Asuka had misplaced it, the group grudgingly fell silent. They were seething inside, but what could they do? There wasn't energy to waste on berating this mad dog. They needed to figure out how to escape the forest.
They quickly began discussing their options.
"Should we head back to the camp now?"
"What about our stuff?"
"Stuff? With an assassin targeting us, you're worried about stuff?"
Asuka's face twitched. He had brought a significant amount of gear, preparing for camping. For him, the gear mattered a lot. It wasn't something he could just abandon because of some unseen assassin.
'How much money did I spend on that! As if these rich kids would understand.'
But having lost the communication crystal, Asuka wasn't in a position to argue. He bit his tongue and kept quiet.
"How far is it back there?"
"Far. Took us nearly four hours by horse. If we don't stop..."
"Four hours by horse means over twelve hours on foot for us."
"If the assassin has a horse, he can easily catch up. We'll be exhausted by then, and he'll be fresh."
"But we can't stay here. We don't even have food for today."
"Trying to gather food while being targeted by an assassin would be madness."
"And if we leave now, it'll be dark by the time we get anywhere. Even though we're following a path, are you confident we can fend off an assassin in the dark?"
"So what do you suggest?"
Silence fell at that question. Facing an assassin in the dark forest was akin to stepping into pitch blackness.
Everyone hesitated to make a decision. At moments like these, a decisive voice is needed. Someone to step over the fear and point the way forward.
"I have an idea."
That voice was Helmut's!
"We'll stay here tonight and leave early in the morning. It's better considering we don't know what traps might be on the way."
"What about water? We have some food, but no water. Is that okay?"
"We have food. Let's roast the mushrooms he brought."
The mushrooms wouldn't last long, just enough for one meal each. But it was all they had. It's unlikely they poisoned a live rabbit.
'I wish I had a bow...'
He did have it. It was still slung on his back. But there were no arrows.
Setting the water bottle aside, Helmut reached for the bow and found a branch suitable for an arrow. Thin, but long enough for the bow.
Helmut nocked the branch on the bowstring.
With a sharp twang, the makeshift arrow pierced the rabbit's neck.
'It's simple.'
Picking up the water bottle and the rabbit, Helmut hurried back. This bounty would surely please everyone.
But the scene that greeted him upon his return was unexpected.
"What's all this about!"
"What did you do, you idiot! Have you lost your mind? What were you thinking going after them? Don't you understand the situation?"
James, clutching one side of his face, sat on the ground, while Asuka, arms crossed, glared at him. Andro looked on sternly.
One person was missing. Helmut quickly grasped the situation.
"Di, Dino got captured and you just stood by? Andro, you!"
Andro shook his head.
"If you'd gone and got caught too, we'd be completely out of options."
Realizing his stealthy approach, Helmut made his presence known. The three turned to him.
"Helmut!"
"What happened? How did Dino get captured?"
In just that short time, had they forgotten his instructions to stick together? Helmut's gaze sharpened.
Asuka complained,
"Damn Dino suddenly needed to pee. Said he'd go just ahead and went out. It was really just a moment."
Needing to relieve himself before Helmut returned, Dino decided to step just outside the camp to do his business against a tree. Going to the bathroom right in the camp wasn't an option.
But as Dino was finishing up, two long arms descended from above like lightning, snatching him away as easily as a spider captures its prey. It was a horrifying sight.
Everyone was shocked, their eyes wide.