Professor Rowen’s head turned with a creak at the words of another professor.
Purple hair. A noticeable upper body volume.
That was none other than Professor Violet, who had recently been promoted to head of the Magic Department.
As Professor Rowen mentioned, Emilia Raymond and her group were busy moving.
As expected of the Aether Class.
It seems they’re quite adept at strategy, befitting the children of the elite merchant guild.
The head of the Aether Class smiled slightly at the activities of their students.
“The team composition is excellent, isn’t it? Three from the Aether Class and even the runner-up from the Knight Department, Hector. Student Hector is highly coveted even among us in Aether, so we have high hopes.”
‘Greedy woman.’
No matter who it is, she takes all the good students for Aether, and now she’s talking about expectations.
Violet muttered to herself.
Though she nodded out of courtesy.
It was true.
Emilia Raymond’s team composition seemed excellent at first glance.
Warrior, scout, priest, mage.
Except for the warrior, all were from the Aether Class. All proven talents.
Moreover, their grades were top-tier, with overwhelming stamina.
No matter what anyone said, the team with the highest probability of winning was theirs.
Professor Rowen drew their route on the map and added.
“It looks like they’re planning to secure the supply base at [Rock Tower] first. A good choice. It’s not only a supply point but also a mandatory pass to the center of the island. If someone asked me to choose the most important spot in the early to mid stages, I would choose that place.”
Meanwhile.
There was another noticeable party.
“Saint candidate Aria’s party from the Priest Department is also noteworthy. Except for the saint candidate, the entire team consists of priests from the Aether Class. It’s a bit of a biased composition, isn’t it?”
At someone’s remark, the head of the Priest Department laughed heartily.
“Haha. How can we stop the students’ faith?”
“Well, Student Aria’s abilities are certainly not lacking. I’ve heard she recently had another revelation?”
“Haha. Rumors do spread quickly.”
The head of the Priest Department nodded kindly.
“As expected… They seem to be moving ahead of Emilia’s party. Are they planning to start directly at the center? Perhaps they’ve noticed Emilia’s strategy. Indeed, the top ranks tend to consolidate rather than compete…”
From that conversation, discussions among the department heads about the top students began.
Amelia’s party.
Aria’s party.
Parties composed entirely of Aether students.
Parties composed of top ranks from each class excluding Aether.
The start is half the battle.
Groups showing excellent performance from the beginning were likely to be promoted to Aether or maintain their position if they were already in Aether.
It was natural for the professors’ attention to be drawn.
However.
Professor Violet was observing other students alone.
While everyone else was heading to the center, a few were heading to the outskirts alone.
Violet tapped her lips anxiously.
At Violet’s unusual behavior, the head of the Knight Department next to her asked.
“Why are they heading backward?”
It wasn’t a voice of concern.
Rather, it carried a strange smile.
The relationship between the Magic Department and the Knight Department was far from good.
The heads often bickered, trying to pick on each other.
The sight of three students from the Magic Department moving backward brought a sneer to his face.
“Ah, they’re really going backward. Did they misunderstand that the desolation starts from the outskirts? Sometimes there are such foolish ones.”
“…They are not foolish.”
Violet unintentionally snapped back.
This means losing.
Violet closed her eyes tightly.
“Oh my, I’m sorry if you’re upset. It seems those students are cherished by Professor Violet.”
First scratching the person and then apologizing.
And knowing he’s not one to apologize sincerely.
As expected.
“Still, at this rate, they won’t make it in time for the desolation. Unless they learn to levitate and fly back.”
Violet remained silent.
The strategy of staying silent when at a disadvantage.
Mages must know how to wait.
Of course, Professor Engelgard from the Knight Department, who had seized the opportunity to mock the proud mage, wouldn’t remain silent.
“I look forward to seeing how many from the Magic Department will make it this time. At least three from the Knight Department will surely make it… As for the students from the Magic Department…”
Hmm.
The man who took his time solely to provoke continued.
“I suppose you need to teach them how to read a map first.”
Pfft.
With a sneering exhale, Engelgard from the Knight Department turned away.
A vein slightly bulged on Violet’s fair forehead.
‘Ian must have a plan. Bald old man.’
She muttered softly to herself and turned her gaze to the screen.
◆
“Do you see them?”
“Just a moment… Yes! Everyone’s coming!”
On the outskirts of the island, in front of a dragon-shaped rock, under a large tree.
Danya, who was observing from above, shouted.
Ian let out a sigh of relief.
‘… Somehow, everyone managed to gather.’
This beginning moment was the most worrisome.
The promotion battle’s start is crucial, with numerous variables concentrated at the starting point.
One could be summoned to a place with monsters and get attacked.
Even if teams were formed, they could be picked off one by one before meeting up.
Once near this area, there was no worry of encountering other cadets, so it was as if everyone had gathered.
“Danya, you can come down now.”
“Okay!”
Ian offered his shoulder to Danya, who was hanging from a branch. It was precarious.
— Whoosh!
“Come down slowly. Even a monkey… no, a cat can fall from a tree.”
“Hmph. What do you think I am? When I was little, I even slept in trees.”
It’s Danya hanging from a branch above Ian’s head.
Danya, hanging from a branch above Ian’s head, needed to step on his shoulder to get down.
The height was such that she had to hang from the branch like on a horizontal bar to barely reach Ian’s shoulder.
Danya confidently extended her white, soft foot onto Ian’s shoulder and continued speaking.
“As a member of the great Catsnesia tribe… Kyaaah!”
Slip!
Danya’s hand slipped from the branch.
As a result, she slipped off Ian’s shoulder.
Her legs slid toward Ian’s chest, and to balance, she grabbed Ian’s head with her upper body.
Danya ended up sitting on Ian’s shoulders, almost like riding a horse.
“…!”
Ian lightly adjusted his balance.
It was somewhat expected.
He was wary of the cat’s overconfidence and arrogance.
Meanwhile, Danya.
“Ugh-!”
Let out a scream of surprise, mixed with a hint of sweetness.
“Are you okay?”
Ian raised his head.
At that moment.
“Nyah! Ah, no…!”
“… Danya?”
“Nooo! Don’t look up!”
Feeling the softness on his neck for a moment.
Ian quickly but carefully sat down on the ground.
Danya’s face was flushed red.
She couldn’t support her legs and slumped to the ground.
Why is she like this?
Does she have a fever?
Ian asked her.
“Did a bug bite you from above? Are you okay? Did I lower you too quickly?”
“N-no, it’s not your fault… I’m fine. It’s nothing.”
“Nothing? You look really hot right now. Are you sure you don’t have a fever?”
“Ha… No.”
Danya, with half-closed eyes, exhaled heavily.
Ian reached out to touch her forehead.
At that moment.
“Ian!… Oh? Wait!!! Don’t touch her!”
Thud thud thud!
Lina came running from afar and hugged Danya.
“Don’t touch her. Are you okay, Danya? He didn’t touch you, did he?”
“Uh… yeah.”
Ian couldn’t grasp the situation.
But he felt hurt.
It felt as though he was being treated like a virus.
Ian’s expression usually doesn’t show much.
But Lina, who always watched him, could tell.
Right now, Ian was looking quite dejected.
“Oh! It’s not that… I can’t explain it, but anyway! You shouldn’t touch Danya for a while. It’s something… we can’t really talk about with men…! Anyway, I’m sorry!”
Swish.
Lina, who had turned away from Danya, whispered.
‘Are you in heat?’
All beastkin have a period known as “heat”, commonly referred to as mating season.
‘Yes. I think so…Nyah.’
‘Didn’t you say you had about a month left?’
‘It’s strange since we arrived on this island…’
The duration, cycle, and intensity of heat day vary by species.
For felines, it typically occurs every two months for about five days.
‘But we still have a week until the advancement test. Will you be okay?’
The solution to heat is simple.
Either suppress the instincts with superhuman patience.
Or make efforts to satisfy those instincts.
Danya had a strong control over her instincts.
She had never felt discomfort from heat before.
But now it was different.
The cause was right nearby.
— Sniff sniff!
Danya instinctively searched for Ian’s scent and hurriedly covered her nose.
‘I… I can hold on. I can’t be a burden to the team…’
In fact, while in heat, beastkin become stronger.
Their physical abilities increase and their senses become more acute.
This is to bond with a desired mate.
It’s similar to constantly being on natural adrenaline.
The problem comes after bonding.
Once the desire is satisfied, the entire body becomes languid.
They have to cope with the effects of the enhanced physical state.
‘Then I’ll manage it well. What should I do?’
‘If we don’t touch, I think I can endure…Nyah.’
While Lina and Danya whispered to each other.
Ian deliberately stood a little farther away.
It was a delicate matter involving women, so it was difficult to intervene.
“It shouldn’t be a big deal.”
The desolation was about to begin.
Of course, there was no need to rush.
Even if desolation approached, it wasn’t too frightening.
This was the island’s outermost edge.
But at the same time, it was a place with a path to the island’s center faster than anyone else.
By the way.
Where was Elena?
She should be arriving soon.
“Hey, Brother!”
Speaking of the devil.
From a distance. Elena, running at full speed, came into view.
Why is she in such a hurry? Is she being chased?
By monsters? There shouldn’t be any around here.
The target to be captured was like a boss of this area, so the regular monsters should be cleared out.
No… wait a minute.
Does that mean there’s a monster stronger than the one he was after?
Swallow.
Ian swallowed hard and assumed a combat stance.
“Haah… ah! Heg…!”
Upon arriving, Elena placed her hands on her knees to catch her breath.
Then she stretched both hands toward the sky.
“I’m in first place!”
Ian gave Elena’s broad forehead a light tap.
— Smack!
The crisp sound echoed through the forest.
