Alois Gradius, the second son of a ducal family, was a well-known figure among the mages.
His bold volunteering drew sharp glances.
“What? A noble young master’s joining? To that dangerous place?” one whispered.
“He’s reckless. He’ll be the first to get eaten,” another scoffed.
“Nah, Rita’s supreme-rank. She’ll protect a noble, right?”
“Didn’t you see her during training? She ditches anyone who’s a burden without hesitation.”
Amid the whispers and jeers, Rita hid her discomfort.
As she remained silent, Alois, sweating profusely, spoke up.
“I-I’ll do my best! I’m only second-class, but… I want to learn and see a lot by the great mage’s side.”
His soft voice sparked gasps of surprise.
A noble, especially from the prestigious Gradius family, was addressing Rita respectfully, even offering to be her disciple.
“I’ve been diligently practicing magic. I may not be much help, but… I’ll serve you with all my heart!”
Alois’s green eyes sparkled with enthusiasm, his expression pure.
To him, this dangerous pursuit seemed like a field trip, a notion Rita couldn’t comprehend.
‘Why you, of all people?’
In her past life, she’d never been on good terms with Alois, so negative assumptions were natural.
‘Talos… is he planting Alois to spy on me? Ready to escape with a teleportation stone if things get dicey?’
Her mind raced with distrustful possibilities.
Alois, despite his mediocre skills, always secured prime positions due to his nobility.
Talos had urged her to yield achievements to him.
While Talos was the root of this, Rita couldn’t help feeling Alois had stolen her place.
“Phew…”
She barely suppressed her shameful emotions.
‘Personal feelings aside, he’s a noble. I can’t drag him into danger.’
As she raised her hand to coldly refuse, the mages’ murmurs grew louder.
Following the commotion, she saw Valery Gainer nearby.
The old noble, drawn by curiosity, laughed heartily upon spotting Alois.
“Oh, Duke Gradius’s son, isn’t it?”
Striding forward, Valery, a pureblood noble, beamed at the sight of a fellow aristocrat.
“I heard you were a mage, but I didn’t expect you on the battlefield.”
The focus shifted to Valery and Alois.
With the confidence of his status, Valery seized control of the conversation.
“Duke Gainer, it’s been a while!” Alois greeted.
“Two years ago, you were just a boy. Now you’re a fine young man. What brings you here?”
“With the world in chaos, I felt I had to do something, so I volunteered.”
“Did Duke Gradius allow this?”
“N-No, my father gladly sent me.”
“Really? That’s surprising. Well, it’s good to see you. While other nobles flee, it’s rare to see someone like you step up.”
“I’m honored… It’s a privilege to fight alongside the renowned Duke Gainer.”
Despite Rita’s sour glance, Valery laughed boisterously.
“For the sake of my fellow duke, I’ll make sure to protect you!”
Rita was dismayed.
Valery’s words meant he intended to keep Alois close.
He should see Alois’s skill level is obvious.
‘Taking him along? How lightly does he take this pursuit?’
She opened her mouth to object, but Valery, oblivious, continued,
“My pursuit team has all the supreme-ranks. If you’re determined, I’ll ensure your safety.”
“Really? I was just asking the great mage to join her!”
Alois beamed innocently, while Valery patted his shoulder.
Rita ground her teeth, sensing Valery’s intent.
That old fox.
With no notable nobles in the front lines, he wants to prop up Alois for glory, turning him into a noble hero.
Swallowing her frustration, she realized refusing was tricky.
Valery’s influence, combined with Brena’s second-class status, made it hard to argue.
With him declaring this publicly, rejecting Alois outright was impractical.
Cunning old man…
Forced to move with Alois, Rita couldn’t hide her irritation.
But arguing with Valery would cost her more, especially after his help in the meeting.
Fine, I’ll let it slide.
“Then the volunteers will be these three—”
Before she could finish, three more young mages raised their hands, surprising her.
Alois, a second-class noble, volunteered, and Valery praised him, so their pride got stung.
Recognizing the trio, Rita smirked lightly.
They weren’t exceptional but were considered talented in the Mage Tower.
After a moment’s thought, she accepted.
Better than nothing.
“We’ll begin scouting the area at noon. Prepare and gather at the center by then,” she announced, glancing at Alois.
He’s timid by nature.
A few close calls, and he’ll run.
With that thought, she moved on.
At noon, the pursuit team, having confirmed its members, began scouting.
Six mages volunteered, three influenced by Alois.
“Wow, seeing all these supreme-ranks at once… what a chance.
Good friends pay off,” one said.
“Seriously, how can people shine like that?” another gushed.
“Even the forest’s children are beautiful, but they pale next to the Saint.”
The three young mages were far from serious, acting overly casual around Rita, their peer.
Trailing behind, they were lucky Mikael, Eilin, and Floria hadn’t overheard.
Rita considered intervening but held back, curious about their confidence.
“Shouldn’t you shut up?”
Brena snapped, not tolerating their nonsense.
She glared at the trio—Owen, frivolous and mean; Hilia, arrogant and disrespectful; and Kerman, full of himself.
Kerman reacted first, but Valery’s voice cut in.
“Something’s nearby.”
The most perceptive, he rested his hand on his sword.
Sercia scanned the surroundings sharply.
Despite their caution, nothing happened for a while.
In the silence, Bailey sniffed cautiously.
“The forest reeks of blood. Tracking by scent will be tough.”
“The ground’s the same—too many crisscrossing tracks,” Floria added, shaking her head.
“Over there, inside the bushes,” Priest Roen, with his keen hearing, pointed to the right.
Rita, Mikael, and the supreme-ranks exchanged glances and moved cautiously.
“Shh,” Valery signaled, frowning and raising a finger.
A faint chomping sound came from the narrow path’s end—familiar to Rita.
As they advanced, the source appeared, and Owen gagged.
Five beasts gathered in a clearing: one sub-adult and four juveniles, devouring a plump animal.
The juveniles resembled larvae, while the sub-adult looked like a crushed cricket.
Insects?
Baal’s offspring, Rita deduced, meeting Valery’s gaze.
Having discussed this earlier, she nodded.
“The sub-adult’s attribute is earth; its vital point is the abdomen. The juveniles are weak, so deal with them casually.”
The six mages, suddenly under her scrutiny, faltered.
They’d been briefed on beast ranks, attributes, and vital points, and knew Rita’s oracle-backed authority was absolute.
But the atmosphere felt odd.
Brena, sensing it first, whispered nervously, “Rita, why are you staring at us like that?”
Mindful of onlookers, she respectfully addressed Rita, who smiled at her tact but replied matter-of-factly,
“To test your skills. To join us, you’ll face beasts like these and stronger. Prove we can trust you with our backs.”
Valery nodded, likely excluding Alois, but Rita had other plans.
This was her chance to push Alois out.
Locking eyes with him, she pressed,
“Alois Gradius, that includes you.”
Her cold tone and gaze drained the color from his face.
“Understood,” Seth said curtly, his red hair flaring as he stepped forward.
At Mikael’s signal, Holy Knight Commander Felix advanced cautiously, followed by Floria and Bailey.
“Screw it! What’s the worst that can happen? Death?”
Brena joined Seth, flustered.
Kerman, Owen, Hilia, and Alois remained frozen.
As Rita glared, Alois, spooked by her piercing eyes, stepped back and snapped a branch.
The loud crack alerted the feeding beasts, their red eyes locking onto the group, antennae twitching.
Seth, preparing an ambush, and Rita’s exposed team froze.
“Rushing Wind!”
Seth, swallowing a curse, sprang forward, firing wind arrows from his staff.
The sub-adult roared at him, enraged.
Brena, scrambling, added,
“Ugh, I’m not good with wind… Rushing Wind!”
Her arrows joined Seth’s, targeting the sub-adult.
‘Aim for the abdomen’, Rita sighed at Brena’s haphazard attack, while Seth’s arrows precisely hit the vital point.
The sub-adult screeched, rearing up furiously, disrupting the wind arrows’ trajectory.
As they missed, Seth faltered.
The sub-adult, shaking its bulky lower body, leapt with its thick hind legs, its cricket-like shadow looming over Seth’s head, leaving him dazed.
“Seth!”