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　The group was allowed to pass through from the Hydrangee military headquarters to the outside world without any trouble thanks to Colonel Bordeaux's arrangement. It is said that this is a consideration for inviting strangers, even though they are association wizards, into the army.
　It's a good thing that the colonel himself saw us off in the sense of destroying unwanted sparks in advance.

　As for the equipment, the colonel handed me the signal smoke used by the Hydrangee Army, as he had prepared it beforehand.


　　Huh~, Tesfia let out a white breath and shuddered. She shrugs her head at the white breath, perhaps checking the temperature, and puts her robe on tightly.

'Hey, aren't you cold?　I mean, didn't you lose your protective barrier?
It's because we're on high ground, of course. It's because we're on high ground, of course, and the wind blows directly into us. If you go into the outside world in earnest, it's going to get hot, no matter what.

　Ars also looked around as his whole body felt the outside world, checking out the situation.

　The dry air was blowing and the strange group of forests spread out endlessly in front of him. Not to be outdone by this dry season, the eerie leaves seemed to be clinging to the branches. The greenery, with little winter kill, was all over the place.
　The air is fresh, but every time I inhale it, my nose is tinged with excitement.
　The Hydrangee Military Division, like Alpha, is situated on high ground, which provides a relatively distant view, but even so, as far as the eye could see, it seemed to be filled with nature.

　The hazy ridgeline was dense and diverse with a wide variety of trees. The spectacular scenery, beyond human comprehension, is given a bizarre impression by the strange monsters that are there. If they were just a little higher, these uneven height trees would feel like they were laid out like moss with no gaps between them.

　Next, Ars's gaze turns to the sky. It was not a perfect day for a mission.
　The weather is said to be changeable, but you can tell when the sun starts to rise. Today was a cloudy day that seemed to block out even the mood.

　Most importantly, the area was unusually quiet even though we were so close to the defense line.

'Huh, let's go.'

　A tight-faced nod to a casual word is returned by each of them.
　The three of them follow Ars, who takes the lead and runs into the outer realm.

''Loki, I need you to be diligent in detecting them.
Yes, sir. Where are we headed?
We'll take the shortest route. We'll take the shortest route. We don't want to wait for the night. The rest is up to them. We'll have plenty of time to get there.
I'm awed. This is getting a little tricky, isn't it?
'Well, it happens all the time. The only concern is what rate is in the vicinity of how much.

　Even though he was trained by Tesfia and Alice, there are still no absolutes in fighting demons. This time, you'll need to think about that area as well and make your move.

''You heard me,'' he confirms over his shoulder to the two men following behind him.

'Of course. The mission is the top priority, and Alice and I will intercept them if we can along the way. If there is more than one, take it easy and follow instructions.

　It's a good idea to make sure that you're not going to have to worry about it.
　It's not just a matter of time before you're able to get your hands on it.

''But only remember to think in accordance with the situation, right~?

　I nodded back and finished my review. No matter how much you assume and try to do it with your mouth, the outside world mocks you as if you knew it all along.

　In the meantime, I'm keeping up with Ars and Loki's speed, so I'll have a lot of time to spare. Through a quick decision, Tesfia and Alice have been able to arrive to the extent that they are able to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with triple-digit level mages. Considering the days of their first extracurricular lessons in the outside world, it's probably an unimaginable amount of growth - in general.
　At least it would be faster than using a horse, even if it's a bit of a bad foothold.

　I don't know how long that will last, but at this pace, even with a few breaks along the way, they should be able to get the two of them to their destination point to gain experience.
　This time Arus is going to watch the battle as a helper, but as far as Loki is concerned, I told him to report the detection results to Tesfia and Alice first.

　A wizard can't last long if he only devotes himself to defeating demons. Assessing the situation on the spot is a necessary strategy for survival.

　Around a few dozen minutes after entering the dimly lit forest area, Loki slows down and gets between Tesfia and Alice.

'There are demon reactions ahead, four in number. I think there are two estimated rate [B] and two C-rated ones. Otherwise, the distance is seven hundred. There's also a reaction of fifteen to the northeast and thirty-three to the northwest, but this one is quite far away. It's not so much in terms of rate. As expected, they don't seem to be moving much even at this distance, what should we do?

　Loki shifted his gaze to Ars for a moment, then impatiently turned to Tesfia and Alice.

　Based on the information given, Ars, who was running forward, held up three fingers.

'There are three choices we can make here. You can focus on the demons ahead, change directions and hit either side and go the long way around, just because you can't manipulate your magic power to go straight through. We'll still prioritize the mission...
A straight shot to the head!

　Tesfia interrupted Ars's words with a wry smile and peeked her AWR through the gaps in her fluttering robes.

'Honestly, unless you're guarding a defensive line, it's only a B-rate, and it's inefficient to be forced to step on your feet.

　B-rate and other rate demons are likely to be encountered during missions. Up to this area, there are relatively large numbers of them, and their rates are likely to increase due to predatory behavior.

The problem is the B-rate. If we don't get through here, there's no point in breaking through...''
'Al, the low rate in front of us is closing the distance towards us a bit.
Did he see you?
No, I think he's just moving. Not too fast.
That's good, as long as it keeps you away from the B-rate. We'll hunt the small fry first as a set stone, okay?

　The mission was communicated by Ars and the task was given to the two men.

''Yes, sir!''

　To each of them, Tesfia drew her sword and Alice turned the blade point of her golden spear backwards and moved into an attack position.
　The speed of running is maintained and the magic power is also quite normal. It is a state of waiting with an awareness of the momentary manipulation of magic power.

　We can't just stand still for every single moment to defeat the small fish. I think I've trained enough to be able to take care of that degree in an instant.
　The minimum magical power manipulation is the construction of a blade to cut the demons, and at the same time, it is also the art necessary to not be detected by the demons until the very last minute.

''I have thirty seconds to visualize it.

　Loki's signal was the exact time to the encounter, less than ten seconds away.

'You're in for a treat. Don't freak out.

　Ars, who was running in the lead, jumped over the roots of a huge tree that was rising on its progress, and then grabbed onto a branch and slowed down.
　Tesfia and Alice were at the side of him, holding their AWRs and passing through with even greater speed.

''Keep your eyes open,''
I'm off.

　The moment they jumped over the roots that even blocked their view and landed - the two of them confirmed the appearance of the demon that jumped into their view and narrowed their target.
　There is no hesitation at all, the two of them sprint in a straight line before the demon notices them. It's fortunate that the ground was relatively flat, or perhaps their speed goes up to the highest speed at once.


''C-rate [Little Ape Man [Norman]],'' she determined. It is a demon that is considered to be an endemic species of Hydrangee.

　Demons are said to have a unique light-black skin and outer shell. However, this demon was a little different from that, this demon had a tan body color that looked like it had been tanned. While it had a short stature like a child, its body was thin and muscular. Although it was called a small ape-man, its arms did not have the ability to move back and forth from branch to branch, but rather, its legs had evolved to run on the ground.

　As an individual name, it's not a demon that you wouldn't see anywhere in the outside world. However, Hydrangee's [Little Ape Man [Norman]] is clearly equipped with a point that differs from other similar species.

　That is--.

　--A harpoon. It's not unheard of for a demon to have a weapon that humans handle.......but the monkeys have done a lot of fanciful things for me.

　The 【Norman the Little Ape Man】 was carrying a rather short harpoon made of the same material as the demon's outer shell.
　And if you consider that humanity is still incapable of demonstrating the true power of magic, that harpoon may be superior to any AWR.

　It may be a weapon that is not inherently necessary. Nevertheless, perhaps as a sign of hostility, the [Little Ape Man [Norman]] of Hydrangee generates weapons together in the process of evolution.

　Where they differ from ordinary demons, they would originally be sufficiently worthy of vigilance.
　However, if the two of them are now, that vigilance is also--.


　Ahead of Ars and Loki's eyes, [Norman] who finally noticed it, is the first to threaten as if he was played. The two bodies emitted a strange continuous sound that made their throats tremble at the same time.

　Immediately after pointing that threat at the oncoming Tesfia and Alice.
　The two flew left and right as if they had been played at each other, kicking tree trunks on both sides to create an angle.

　Tesfia entered the demon from an angle, her beloved sword floating slightly from its scabbard and spinning with her robes fluttering. Centrifugal force causes the speed of the blade tip to emit a faintly visible silver glow.

　The demon would not have been able to take the next action. Whether it was an interception or an evasion, the result would have been the same. Because that foot was iced over, as if it had become one with the ground.

　The scraping sound of the sword had stopped when Tesfia slipped past [Norman]'s side and landed in a semi-circle on the ground.
　The demon, which was cut in a circle from head to waist, stood there with its large red-black eyes wide open. The sound of threats that stood Iyi faded away towards the end of life.


　On the other hand, as for Alice...

''I think I was a bit overzealous. I probably had the feeling that I had caught the demon core.

　This one had also defeated the demon at about the same time. Its small body was completely cut in two halves, and it was doomed to death without even emitting a threatening sound. The slash of 【Shail Wraith】 left a mark that cut through the ground as well.

　Although it was a horrific scene, Alice tried her best not to be aware of it and spoke up.
　It seemed that she managed to divide it up, because if only the demon core was shattered, the demon's body would disintegrate into dust. Considering her personality, she still tends to back down, but I suppose she doesn't have to worry about that in the first place.

　The same was true during the extracurricular classes, but Alice is able to firmly come to terms with what needs to be done. Maybe that's because she fought against Ars and the demons, though.

　Anyway, by the time the two of them left the demon behind and swung their swords and spears with a hyung, the demon had collapsed and its body had begun to disintegrate.

　And they smiled at each other with a somewhat distracted smile of satisfaction.