Chapter 45:

Chapter 45:

Despite the apparent joke In Karls voice, no one laughed at those words. After a while, Kalian asked with an awkward laugh.

Haha. Youre kidding, right?

No.

Karl answered, then looked at the Cadets with a serious expression.

The process of getting here was just a warm-up. From now on, it will be a real battle-like experience.

If its a real battle, I assume it wont end with simply fighting the fragments of the gigant.

At Abels words, Karl stared at him and nodded his head.

There are many types of battles a Rider engages in. As Abel said, the battle with the fragments of the gigant is only a small part of it.

Having said that, Karl exchanged glances with the Cadets.

You will experience all types of battles during this practice.

There was silence after those words. Karl waited a moment and smiled again before speaking.

Even after saying this, no one wants to give up. I guess everyone is confident?

At that, Darin gave him a wistful look, but Karl didnt seem to notice it and continued.

Well then, I wouldnt want to disturb your short break, so lets talk about a few things, and then Ill leave you be.

Karl briefly explained the midpoint. First of all, there would be a few engineers at the place to fix the gigants. Rest breaks would be taken in the tented barracks which were fully stocked with food and water.

Now, Ill leave you to get some rest. Report to me before leaving.

Yes!

After Karl had left, Abel gathered the other cadets to talk.

I think we should take a four-hour break. What do you think?

Four hours? Not a full six?

Yeah. Somethings bothering me.

Abels words caught everyones attention. Of course, he wasnt simply speaking out of unfounded anxiety.

Whats bothering you? Kalian asked with a doubtful expression

I feel that the instructor didnt explain all the rules about this base?

Abel slowly organized his thoughts. There was no lie regarding what Karl had said. But hed omitted a few crucial pieces of information. First of all, Karl had said they could spend a total of six hours here. He also said they could leave at any point in between, but the six hours was not limited to just this location.

Six hours is the total amount of time you can spend in a base per day. Once youve spent all six hours in one place, you cant take a break in another.

Naturally, this posed a number of challenges. You cant stop for food and water, and you cant get your gigant repaired. But Abel couldnt tell this to the other cadets. This is something that Abel who had no experience, shouldnt know.

He thought about asking Karl about it, but he refrained from doing so because that might raise Karls suspicions. Abel realized hed been silent for a while and calmly explained.

So, I dont have any definite reason. I just want us to be cautious about this, and I dont think this is the only place they have a base.

Hmm, I see.

Kalian and the others didnt look entirely convinced, but they didnt argue either. It wasnt unreasonable to be cautious when there were so many unknowns. Abel spoke up again, just to clarify.

If youre tired, I dont mind resting a bit more. Although Im not that tired yet.

Neither am I.

- -

Oh, about coming to the workshop? Of course!

Thats good, because I have something Id like to commission.

Something you want to commission? Oh, the Academys workshop is definitely reliable, with excellent craft, and their price is quite reasonable

To be precise, Id like to ask you to handle it.

What?

Temarin exclaimed in a loud voice in surprise, then looked around in panic and said in a low voice.

Im not qualified to take on big projects yet Im only halfway through my apprenticeship, so I can only do mediocre work.

Its a simple renovation job. Of course, if it makes you uncomfortable, Ms. Temarin, you dont have to do it.

Of course not, its not inconvenient! Id welcome it with open arms if it were a personal request!

A personal request from an engineer from the Academy was a great pleasure. The structure of the academy is a little different from that of a normal workshop, as the engineers in the workshop work exclusively for the workshop and are more direct, while the academy can be said to be semi-freelance. They can take charge of the academys work but can only make money through personal requests.

To be precise, if you dont take on a personal request, you only get paid in pennies.

The reason for such a structure was simple. A skilled engineer could take on requests from hundreds of cadets, earning not only money, but also a reputation. Once theyve built up a certain reputation, they usually open their own workshop. In some cases, they would even become a full-time employee of the academy.

In that sense, a personal request is a big deal for Temarin, who has a short career ahead of her. The first time would be the hardest, but the second time would be much easier once youve produced results.

So youll take on my requests?

Yes! Oh, and of course, Ill let you know if its anything beyond my skill.

Alright.

Abel smiled and nodded. He wasnt worried about her skills. In a few years, shed be a goddess threatening the famous Vulcanus.

Well, its almost time to go, so Ill see you again when I get a chance to.

Yeah! Oh, and

Yes?

Well, its not a big deal, but theres been talk that the monsters around here have gotten more vicious lately, so be careful.

Abel paused for a moment before answering.

I will. Thank you.

Then, take care.

As he walked away, Abel thought about what Temarin had said.

Could it be that the signs are already starting to appear?

Temarin may have just said that without thinking, but it meant something to Abel, because he knew. Something big was going to happen during this practice. In the game, signs of that event appeared in intervals between practice, and one of those signs was the fragments of the gigant becoming more vicious than they were.

Hmph.

Abel realized that he would have to be more careful, and slightly adjusted his plan.

We might as well try to get there in two days even if it meant overdoing it,

He thought, referring to a ruin inside the Telif Plains, the training area because

I need to find the ancient artifacts sooner rather than later.

There was an artifact lying dormant.

[To be continued.]