At that moment, an unexpected figure emerged from within the campsite. A clear and elegant voice resonated through the air.
"Hello, you must be Instructor Alan."
The gloomy atmosphere brightened. There stood Alea, dressed in a pristine white robe, her silver hair gleaming. Asuka, who had been watching the reunion of the guardian and ward with a blank expression, widened his eyes in surprise.
"Alea? What brings you here?"
Instructor Alan responded.
"Alea from the Magic Department? What are you doing here?"
He paid no heed to Asuka. Alea offered a refreshingly insincere smile.
"I happened to be at the academy when I heard there was trouble here. They called out to me as I was passing by, so I joined to help."
The professors of the Magic Department were either away due to supervising students on field assignments or busy with classes.
Magic Department classes often involve dangerous experiments, making it hard to leave midway. The only professor who could come early was Luxen, just one person. This was insufficient for any contingency, which is why Alea was summoned.
A magician is a very useful entity. Normally, a senior student would accompany in such cases, but Alea was different. Her magical prowess exceeded even those of upperclassmen.
"Could you take a look at these students, then?"
"Yes."
The members of Team 9 had sustained injuries ranging from minor to moderate. There wasn't enough manpower to fully heal everyone, so Professor Dwayne had provided emergency treatment.
Alea approached Team 9 and began casting healing spells on them.
"Wow, to think I'd get treated by Alea just because I got injured."
James wore a blissful expression. Despite being a man, his presence seemed to purify one's vision. Asuka, known for his unpleasant personality, couldn't help but sneer at his gushing.
"You should be ashamed, fool. If you had any conscience, you'd spend every waking moment not sleeping in the training ground! We almost died fighting because of your lack of skill!"
As James looked embarrassed, Andro frowned.
"That's harsh, Asuka. James fought hard too. It's not right to speak to a comrade who fought alongside you like that."
"All I did was everything. What did you guys even do? Just bleed in a corner without being of any help."
It's said that comradeship builds when you face death together. However, at this moment, both Andro and James shared the same thought.
'Annoying brat! Can't stand him.'
They wished someone would shut his constantly babbling mouth. But by then, Instructor Alan had already left, and Alea glanced at them before approaching Helmut.
"Are you alright? I heard Black Hawk targeted you and caused trouble."
A flicker of concern showed in her vivid amethyst eyes. While usually distant to everyone, her demeanor changed towards Helmut. At some point, it had shifted.
"I'm not too hurt. Just a bit tired."
He wanted to rest. It had been a long day for Helmut.
"Let me see your injuries."
As he rolled up his sleeve, scrapes and scabs became visible. Alea meticulously applied healing magic.
As her hand brushed against his arm, Helmut nearly grasped it. His heart twinged.
'...Did I sustain internal injuries?'
He dismissed Alea verbally.
"That's enough, thank you."
It seemed he had overexerted himself drawing upon his vis. The symptoms were showing.
The summoned students from the Swordsmanship Department were returning. Helmut decided to rest until everyone was back. He would have to ride for a while on the way back, after all.
For now, the situation was calm.
Members of other teams, called unexpectedly from their group activities, looked bewildered. Except for one person who sprained an ankle jumping from a tree, there were no injuries. But at this juncture, continuing the hunting picnic was impossible.
The return of the entire second year of the Swordsmanship Department to Greta Academy was decided. It would be late at night before they arrived, but it was unavoidable.
Helmut glanced at the tied-up campsite manager. The original manager, not killed but disguised by Talon, had not died. If they had seen the real manager, who had a similar appearance to Talon, after several years, the instructors might not have recognized him.
The returned manager claimed he had passed out in the forest and woke up two days later, an absurd story given his condition. Whether he was bribed to vacate his post would need investigation.
Before the Swordsmanship Department departed, Alea returned to the academy using teleportation magic. She pulled Helmut aside before leaving and asked,
"Helmut, would you like to return with me? Instructor Ethan suggested it. Saying it's for an investigation would suffice. We can teleport your horse as well."
It seemed Ethan had subtly taken care of him. Helmut shook his head.
"I can't leave the team members behind."
He felt well enough after some rest. Leaving the team members behind after they were attacked seemed morally wrong to Helmut. It appeared his conscience had grown significantly. Besides, Asuka would have thrown a fit if he had left without him.
"Well, do as you please."
Alea easily withdrew her offer. It wasn't a big deal, but Alea wasn't the type to extend such kindness to everyone.
As she turned to leave, she noticed the cloak Helmut was wearing and asked sharply,
"Where did you get that cloak? I've never seen it before."
Alea had a keen eye. Helmut concealed his discomfort.
"I bought it recently."
"Really? I haven't seen it in your room before. It's enchanted with space expansion magic, isn't it? It's expensive and hard to come by."
"Yes. It looked good, so I bought it."
Such items weren't common even in Baden's shops. Helmut tensed, wondering how to deflect further questions, but Alea moved on nonchalantly.
"I see."
After she left, Helmut returned to where the team members were. Asuka bluntly asked,
"Hey, what did Alea say?"
"She asked if I wanted to return with her. I refused."
"That's right. But see how that guy discriminates? He didn't even bother with me, and just wanted to take you back! Thinking about it pisses me off."
Asuka grimaced and got angry. Complaining despite not having thanked Alea for the healing was typical of him. Helmut casually brushed off Asuka's grumbling. He had gotten used to Asuka's antics. The energetic boy would likely spend the journey back complaining about Alea.
After returning, there were many issues to resolve, but for now, the hunting picnic had concluded.
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"Lord Talon."
Pacho cautiously called his superior. After erasing their tracks and mounting the horses prepared by Talon, they were almost out of the forest and on the main road. Despite their bold actions, they hadn't underestimated Greta Academy.
The prowess of Greta Academy's faculty was formidable. They would comb the forest thoroughly to find them. Now that Hawk Eye's existence was exposed, they needed to withdraw quickly.
"What is it, Pacho?"
Talon, his superior, was always composed, never raising his voice even in reprimand.
He acted with the weight of a mountain but could be flexible when necessary. Difficult to read and far stronger than Pacho could gauge, he was a daunting and uncomfortable adversary.
"Wasn't it too much to give that boy? Money, your cloak enchanted with magic, and three pieces of information. It's too generous for him."
Even returning the horse seemed overly considerate. Watching this, Pacho felt a twist in his gut but was puzzled. Why would Talon go to such lengths for that boy?
"Do you mean to say I paid too high a price to save you?"
The gentle question sharply pricked Pacho. Aside from the failed mission, Pacho hadn't done anything wrong. He had divulged only necessary information.
But failing the mission could have justified his death. His survival was thanks to Talon's grace.
"That's not what I mean. I will repay the price you paid. However."
A cold light flickered in Pacho's eyes.
"What's done is done. Next time, let's kill him properly and retrieve what was given to him."
He recalled the humiliation of having his mask removed and being overpowered. Pacho had to admit he wanted to eliminate Helmut.
'He saw my face.'
Not just because of the insult, but revealing his face was unacceptable for an assassin. Anyone who saw his face had to die.
The question came back.
"Do you think you were close to succeeding?"
Silenced by the question, Pacho held back his response. Talon didn't appreciate bluster.
Helmut's capabilities exceeded Pacho's assessment. The likelihood of success was slim from the start.
"We will not proceed that way."
The statement was definitive.
"Why not? If you think I'm not enough, we can add more people. Mobilizing Hawk Eye's resources should be enough to eliminate him."
A 15-year-old monster with such skills was unimaginable. Pacho couldn't fathom what kind of monster Helmut would become by the time he graduated from the academy.
Helmut's skills posed a terrible threat to Black Hawk. Now, while he's still young and before he understands the cruelty of adults, before he's too soft-hearted about his friends' lives, he should be eliminated. That was Pacho's belief.
Talon explained slowly, looking at him.
"You are a valuable asset. Worth saving personally by me. This time, I appeared and no one died. But there's no guarantee it will be the same next time."
Talon hadn't planned to show up and assist Pacho.
"How many of Hawk Eye would sacrifice themselves to eliminate just one person? How much would it cost? Have you considered that?"
Talking about taking on an individual as if waging a war. But Pacho couldn't respond. The target required that level of preparation. The chance of success without any sacrifice was slim.
"Such plans should be executed only if they're worth the effort. My judgment is, Hawk Eye cannot afford to expend itself on just that one person. The organization shouldn't operate so narrowly. If there's a risk, it should be managed appropriately."
"Are you confident you can manage him? He's hostile to Black Hawk."
"I've observed him up close. Since we're offering information, as long as there's something to gain, he won't strike against Black Hawk. He doesn't repay kindness with hostility.
He distinguishes between friend and foe. Establishing a friendly relationship will be beneficial. That's my judgment."
Thus, the generous compensation and returning the horse were not just to save Pacho. It also meant that the cost wasn't solely for Pacho's life. Talon softened his tone.
"Pacho, focus on recovering once we return. There's much you'll need to do."
"Yes, understood."
Pacho was reluctantly convinced. As he was about to keep silent, a thought suddenly struck him.
"There's one more thing I'd like to mention."
Pacho shared his realization from fleeing the campsite. Talon stroked his chin thoughtfully.
"An interesting story. Disguising as a commoner... Sometimes it's a prank played by the nobles. We'll need to investigate that. I have a hunch."
His eyes sparkled with interest.
"Let's return quickly."
Talon spurred his horse. Pacho did the same. Hee-hee-heeing! The two horses sped down the road, away from the forest. And from any pursuers.
The connection between Black Hawk, Helmut, and the lush forest under the brilliant sunlight was far from over. It was still midday.