7~ Troublesome
Halfway through the semester, every team and class at the academy was busy preparing for their midterms. These freshmen, having endured the entrance exam, the Crown Cup, and the rookie preliminary cup—an unforgiving societal gauntlet—were finally beginning to understand that Coleman Academy wasn’t some place you could half-a** your way through.
In this place, people who lack ambition or a desire to grow don’t last six months.
Not even talking about the cutthroat elimination system during exams—just look at the surrounding vibe. While everyone else in your dorm team is grinding hard and hitting the books, you’re chilling, eating, and lazing about. Don’t you feel a little panicked?
A good environment is crucial. It can change someone’s habits. Even those who aren’t usually the studious types find themselves diving headfirst into the library just to keep up.
Midterms were over, and unsurprisingly, the little kitty still pulled her team down. Her fundamentals were just too weak; catching up wasn’t going to happen in a day.
Nevertheless, two months of tutoring proved effective. Especially since she had the all-star tutoring squad. It’d be hard not to improve.
Even though Wenfu’s grades, when compared horizontally with her A-class classmates, were still pretty embarrassing, she had improved significantly from her entrance exam. At least now, all her scores had two digits, and in her stronger subjects, she could definitely pass.
It was good going, and Dillin was actually rather satisfied. Seeing the pink-haired kitty girl jumping around cheerfully in her apron after receiving her scores, his mouth couldn’t help but curl into a proud father-like smile.
The kitten he fostered was finally growing up.
As the days passed, Princess Filisia grew more and more restless, like a glass of water that never emptied but continued to overflow when filled, no matter how much was poured out.
“Princess Filisia, hasn’t your realm’s level stuck at LV20 for quite a while now?” Over the weekend, Tillysha and Filisia sat together; Tillysha, while reading, analyzed out loud. “It’s okay to accumulate for a big burst later, but too much experience can lead to problems. I’ll handle the course break request form. You can start preparing for our departure to Ruglien.”
“Fillysha, I have a question,” Filisia raised an eyebrow.
“What is it?”
“How did you know my realm reached level twenty? Just a guess?”
“Of course not. Mr. Dillin mentioned it to me,” Tillysha replied.
“Mr. Dillin’s Divine Analysis Technique must be much higher than I thought, hm?” Filisia thought, finding something off about Tillysha’s statement.
To be able to discern the precise level of someone’s realm was something Filisia had never heard of before. Until now, she thought Dillin’s Divine Analysis Technique was more of a show, but it seemed that wasn’t the case.
But why had Dillin never used the “Divine Analysis Sharing” skill, which should be fundamental for a Male? With a Divine Analysis Technique at that level, casting that shouldn’t be too hard.
“Princess Filisia, rest well tonight. No training tonight. The course break request form is on me. If everything goes according to plan, we’ll enter Ruglien tomorrow. Sleep early and store your energy.”
“Energy to spare is good, but staying up late is sure to affect your condition.”
“If I have so much energy I can’t sleep tonight, could Tillysha help me burn it off?” Filisia, wanting to turn the tables after being teased by Tillysha, smirked.
“Of course. My door won’t be locked. Princess Filisia, feel free to come by any time if you feel like having an all-night chat.”
“Is it wise to leave your door unlocked? Should we keep the key in a place only I know?” Filisia teased, brushing the hair from her forehead.
“Under the blanket. Come whenever you want.”
“I’ll definitely stay with you to the end~” Tillysha finished by slightly touching the corner of her lips, winking at Filisia, then turned and left, a subtle smirk tugging at her lips.
Rome wasn’t built in a day, and Tillysha didn’t intend to delve too deeply tomorrow. She planned to reconnoiter, then take action after gathering data about the distribution of demons around Ruglien’s gateway.
When it came to gathering information, using the Divine Analysis Technique was required, so it was time for Dillin to step up.
Even though Tillysha technically could use the Divine Analysis Technique in her state, the one to report back would have to be Dillin. Communicating through the puppet’s mouth would only lead to errors; one couldn’t play dual roles indefinitely. Besides, the puppet simply couldn’t simulate Tillysha fully. Since tomorrow was only reconnaissance, their four-person group was enough; Tillysha’s participation wasn’t needed.
While learning and training these past days, Tillysha hadn’t neglected her studies about Ruglien and Coleman Forest.
It was essential for a Male to research and understand their destination. Besides gathering necessary information and local rumors, Tillysha had also discovered an unverified story in the non-scientific book “Legends of Coleman Forest.”
There had been reports of demi-humans going missing near Coleman Forest.
But this rumor had no evidence and recent travelers to the forest hadn’t suffered similar fates, so it was probably just a groundless story or exaggerated hearsay. Tillysha didn’t take it too seriously.
Having prepared everything, Tillysha stepped out of her room. As the team leader, it was necessary to check the status of her teammates.
Filisia she’d already seen. So, she first visited Aistride, knocking three times.
“Am I interrupting, Aistride?”
A brief commotion was heard from inside the room, followed by calm footsteps. A moment later, the door opened, revealing Aistride, dressed in a dress matching her hair color.
What had she been doing that made her take so long to answer?
Tillysha didn’t pry, only reminding her to rest early since they were leaving the next day and telling her not to be too nervous.
Aistride nodded, her expression calm and indifferent as ever.
Next, she arrived at Wenfu’s door. Tillysha was about to knock but noticed the black shadow under the gap, and retracted her hand. The kid was already asleep.
Looks like there was no need to check her teammates’ statuses. Their psychological resilience was top-notch.
Quiet corridors now only contained Tillysha. Turning off the ground floor crystal lamp, she ascended to the third floor, removing her accessories, and restored to Dillin. Having not done so in a while, he finally got to sleep in his own room that night.
The next morning, campus life bustled as usual post-weekend.
These “course break request forms” were generally submitted when one left the campus to complete semester assignments. The academy would give the team a pass.
Typically, these forms were only submitted near the semester’s end, otherwise, one could fall behind. Completing an assignment so early, like “Brilliant Sun and Moon”, was extremely rare.
After breakfast, the four gathered in the yard, packing bags in case they needed to camp in the forest or the wilds.
“Hmm? Tillysha isn’t coming?” Wenfu asked, visibly uneasy.
“Are you worried that three of us can’t protect you?” Dillin, carrying a fire g*n on his back, chuckled.
“No, it’s not that!”
“We’re going for reconnaissance, finding out the demon distribution nearby, not a direct assault.” Dillin explained. “Tillysha has gone to submit the form, so it’s just us four.”
Submitting forms was always a time-consuming process, taking at least a day’s work. However, Dillin had already handed it in ages ago.
“Alright then,” Wenfu nodded, but seemed distracted, glancing at the distance frequently.
Aistride remained quiet, occasionally looking at Dillin. Filisia stared off towards the direction of Coleman Forest.
Shutting the estate’s gate, the four set off towards the city exit.
Each carried different amounts of luggage; Dillin had a satchel on his back with fire g*n ammo on his waist. Aistride had a few small items on her waist and legs. Filisia carried the most stuff, but given the princess’s strength, she didn’t mind at all. Wenfu had a little backpack and wore student loafers; her cat ears twitching, she looked just like a student heading to school.
Walking towards the outskirts, the walls of Coleman City slowly receded into the distance, then disappeared entirely.
As they walked, Dillin pondered.
They needed to finish their investigation and return before it went dark. The monsters in Ruglien were most active during the night.
The Coleman Forest stood ahead. Once through it, they would arrive at Ruglien. Each time Dillin saw this forest, he remembered the day he first entered it, discovering the secret realm leading to the Elven shrine.
“Hey, what are you folks doing?” Suddenly a gruff voice boomed out, stopping the group.
Looking to the side, a tall officer in armor stood there, accompanied by a few soldiers as they were patrolling.
Wenfu’s ears twitched and she instinctively hid behind Filisia.
“Excuse me, may I help you?” Dillin inquired politely, observing the army emblem on the officer’s sleeve.
“I’m with the empire stationed near Coleman. Why are you heading to Coleman Forest?” His gaze lingered on the three stunning girls, then returned to the unremarkable-looking Dillin.
And that voice! He seemed intentionally loud.
“We students at Coleman Academy are heading there to complete our assignment. May I ask what brings you here?” Filisia spoke calmly, showing neither deference nor arrogance.
“What brings me here? You’re trying to enter Coleman Forest without permission. This is forbidden territory; it’s usually off-limits.” The officer looked arrogantly down at them. “Assignment? Who knows what else you’re up to.”
At this point, Dillin had it figured out—this guy was clearly looking for trouble.
“Mr. Officer, let me repeat, we are students at Coleman Academy,” Filisia replied, her expression unwavering.
“You’re Coleman Academy students? Ha! You could just be fraudsters trying to collude with the demons,” the officer narrowed his eyes.
Seriously? You’re provoking us on purpose?
Dillin’s lips involuntarily twitched.
Colluding with demons? Who actually survives that?
Clearly, this was a baseless hassle.
Dillin realized why these soldiers were giving them trouble. The group was wearing the academy’s uniform. Even if the soldiers were blind, they wouldn’t mistake it. No doubt, this was because they were Coleman students.
In these past few months of intense study, Dillin had learned that Coleman City had historically been a neutral territory. With its rich natural resources and being a gateway for the Light Race, it had drawn interest from many factions. All used the excuse of “preventing demon invasion” to station troops nearby, their real intent obvious.
The elves managed to beat them to it, striking a deal with the Coleman mayor to handle the security of the city.
If you’re eating alone, of course others are going to be upset. No way were they willing to dissolve their armies and leave. Their official reason was “helping defend Coleman City,” but the hidden meaning was clearly mocking the academy.
Dillin felt his suppressed temper rising when Filisia acted first.
“Boom Boom Boom!” Suddenly, Filisia dropped her massive broadsword, hitting the ground with a tremendous impact, raising a huge dust cloud.
“Sir, I suspect you of impersonating an imperial soldier, tarnishing the reputation of the empire’s military. Please show some evidence proving your identity. Otherwise, I might have to take some actions.”
“You…!!!” Shocked by Filisia wielding her sword with one hand, the officer and his goons’ faces turned sour. They never imagined that the roles would reverse, with the other party demanding proof of their identity.
“You can’t see our armor and the badges?!”
At this, Filisia gave him a mocking smirk. “So, armor alone proves your legitimacy?”
“You guys are really daring, impersonating imperial soldiers and stopping Coleman Academy students. If Coleman hears of this, they’ll deem it as a provocation. Does that sound good for you?” Filisia licked her lips.
The hidden meaning was simple: They had a valid reason. Any incident would result in the empire not backing these nameless soldiers up against the Coleman Academy.
“We’re going to Ruglien to hunt demons. We don’t mind cutting a few bandits down before our real quarry!” There was a flicker of a dangerous intent in Filisia’s eyes, possibly due to her dragon bl**d.
