Chapter 118: - The Good, the Crazy and the Bizarre (1)

༺ The Good, the Crazy and the Bizarre (1) ༻

Each year, the freshmen students were required to undertake a prac lesson at the Hunting Grounds.

A select few of the skilled 2nd year seniors would be placed throughout the forest to interfere with the freshmen students, and the new students, who were forced into the forest of unending battles, were assessed on their rational thinking and fighting skills.

It was a prac lesson design that suited the purpose of a Guardian Academy, which aimed to nurture fighters.

“Today, you will be assessed on your survival skills in the Hunting Grounds.”

Chairman Eriu.

The young man with a pair of eyes that were as clear as running water explained to the new students the prac lesson that would be happening shortly in the Hunting Grounds.

“Inside the forest are some of your 2nd grade seniors. You, fellow freshmen students, need to defeat them using every means possible to take their armbands.”

Wasn’t that... too favorable for the freshmen students?

That was what the students were thinking to themselves. In a way, they weren’t wrong because there were 400 of them, which far exceeded the number of 2nd grade students that were in the forest.

However, what they weren’t aware of was that there were monsters in the current 2nd grade.

There were many named characters, who had already reached their final level of growth due to one boy.

– Kwaaang!

“Uaahkkk! A giant! It’s a giant!”

“The tree’s moving! W, what is this...!!”

“I’m losing my mindddddddd...!!”

One of them was Yuel, who learned how to summon a Wickerman, the secret hidden technique of druids.

“The swords are flying arounddddd!”

“This can’t beeeeeee!!”

“Mommyyyy!!”

There was also Dorron, the Mercenary of Flying Swords, who was now wreaking havoc with more than ten expensive magic swords that he was able to afford after a successful investment.

“A golem! It’s a golem!”

“Why are there so many of them!?”

“What is with that massive walking golem!!?”

In addition to that was the Golem Mage, Kranel Luden, who was able to create two-legged super golems thanks to the successful investment and a quick acquisition of golem creation techniques.

“Umm... Are you okay?”

“Ughh... She’s smiling...”

“That’s scary... She’s giving me goosebumps...”

“I, I don’t think I’m that scary though?”

“She’s still smiling...”

Successor candidate of the Arden Family, Alicia Arden.

“......”

As for Hua Ran, the Heavenly Yaksha, there was no need to even bother talking about her. Her might was proven by the tens of unconscious people around her.

And last of them all was him.

“Why so serious?”

Inside the forest was a clown with funny makeup.

****

A freshman student this year, Germain Luther, gave a faint smile while looking at the words, Grade 2 Knight written on his ID Card.

He was a devout believer, who never strayed from the path of faith ever since he was born and raised at the Saint Mikaela Monastery of the Old Faith.

The young man was quite proud of the title on his ID Card.

He wasn’t at the top of the grade because of the Grade 1 Mage, Princess Miruam, but that was by no means anything to be ashamed of, considering how Princess Miruam was another faithful believer of the Old Faith.

However, one thing that didn’t sit well with him was the fact that there was a dirty pair of furry siblings, who also entered the Academy as Grade 2 Knights.

It was incredibly unpleasant that he was attending the same Academy as the pawns of the disgusting demons, but he couldn’t do anything about it, because Germain had a noble matter to attend in the Academy.

‘Captain Laurent...’

Last semester, there was a noble battle in the Academy, where the secret ops of the Old Faith that were trying their best to defeat several monsters had been captured by the evil hands of the Academy.

Sadly enough, Bishop Renault Lusignan denied his relations with them, but that didn’t mean that the Old Faith had discarded its devout followers.

The reason Germain Luther entered the Academy was exactly because he needed to identify their locations and look for ways to save them with the help of their collaborators.

But first off, there was the need to conceal his identity and avoid the watchful eyes of the Academy. Hiding his true identity of being a believer of the Old Faith, he pretended like a diligent student.

This time around, Germain was also planning to stay diligent throughout the Hunting Grounds prac lesson.

Raiding a 2nd year senior. In order to fulfill that objective, Germain had formed a temporary party with a few other students. They were worthless second-rates at either Grade 3 or Grade 4, but he believed that they should be able to serve as expendable baits that could create a gap in the 2nd year students.

“I, I found one! He’s right there, Germain!”

They proved the effectiveness of large numbers, which was their only worth in the first place. They managed to find a 2nd year prey.

“It’s over there!”

Inside the forest, the man was haughtily standing there by himself. He was standing there with his back towards them, while wearing a strange purple-colored suit and shoes that clearly did not suit the forest in any way.

Germain and 33 other freshmen students immediately encircled him.

“HA. HI. HO. HI. HO.”

The new students all looked at the 2nd grade senior, who was slowly turning his head along with a strange laugh. In contrast to the pale makeup that was covering most of his face were his overly vivid crimson lips.

“Is he a clown or what...?”

They wondered how there could be such a strange senior in their Academy, but despite his appearance, they couldn’t deny the fact that the silver spear in his hand was shining with an intimidating light.

“I don’t know who he is, but there’s no way he’s going to be my opponent—”

It took less than 3 minutes for most of the students to lose their armbands.

......

...

With a hearty laughter, the senior, Korin Lork, tapped Germain on his shoulder.

Keep your friends close and your enemies closer.

****

Ren and Ron sprinted across the forest in half-beastified states.

“Wow. Look, Ren. Look. I have this much already.”

“Don’t lower your guard. The seniors are strong.”

The two of them had yet to come across the named 2nd year characters. In fact, they did their best to avoid them.

Yuel, Kranel, Dorron, Alicia, Hua Ran and Korin.

Each and every one of them was stronger than themselves. And Ren’s idea was that it would be better to defeat those that were comparatively weaker, instead of trying to go big by aiming for the seniors.

“Besides... the seniors aren’t our only enemies.”

“Die, you damned beasts!”

One of their freshmen peers suddenly shot out of the forest. The non-lethalized sword in his hand gleamed sharply as it fell towards them.

“Knng...!”

– Bam!

“Huh?”

However, Ren fended it off with her bare body. She was unbelievably strong, considering how her body was smaller than a 10-year-old’s.

“Ron.”

“Okayy.”

Ron casually threw a fist, but the peer flew all the way back after allowing a direct hit by his punch.

“Take his armband. That’s also going to be a point.”

“Alright!”

The siblings, Ren and Ron, had received Grade 2 during their grading test. Therefore, the two of them were wearing armbands that were worth a lot of points, which in turn resulted in a lot of people aiming for their bands.

“There are... more and more people attacking us?”

“Is that bad?”

“Of course it is!”

At the start, it was pretty much all about raiding the 2nd year seniors. The freshmen had been confident with the sheer difference in numbers, and had gone up to attack their seniors in groups.

However, everyone in the Golden Generation, that is the current 2nd year students, were monsters. A straight-forward numbers advantage was not enough to beat them.

After realizing that the 2nd years will be hard to defeat, the freshmen started turning to their peers.

[Die you beast!]

And Ren and Ron were targeted the most because of the two of them being demi-humans. Despite everything positive going on, it was hard to get rid of the general vigilance and hostility against demons.

.........

......

...

“We’re about mid-way there. Most of the weaklings should be disqualified already.”

Dorron Warsky, who recently got promoted to semi-Grade 1, gathered the tens of magic swords that were rotating around his body.

The one who was in charge of commanding the 2nd year students in this Hunting Grounds prac lesson was none other than that spearman. And that very spearman had told him at the start to gather North 1 hour after the start of the prac.

“Fua~. They are all energetic!”

“I gave up on most of the golems. Was that worth it?”

It seemed that Dorron wasn’t the only one who heard that. Everyone ranging from Alicia Arden to the Golem Mage Kranel Luden;

“I came because you told me to, but what is it?”

As well as Yuel the Druid were all there.

“All I want is to simply have a more exciting finish to the game.”

Waiting for them at the venue was Korin in the bizarre outfit and makeup of a clown, and Hua Ran who was yawning with her head resting on his lap.

Practically every one of the 2nd grade’s Golden Generation had gathered before the shed, the final destination.

“By the way, Mr. Korin, what’s with that strange appearance?”

“You wanna know how I got these scars?”

“...That’s just makeup, isn’t it?”

“Some men, just want to watch the world burn!”

It was just one of the same old crazy things that Korin did so Yuel and Dorron ignored it but Kranel commented because he just couldn’t let it be.

“And people call that crazy.”

“I’m not crazy. I’m just... slightly ahead of the curve.”

“Haa~”

This wasn’t the first time he was doing things like that. It was Immortan Lork last year, but there seemed to be something else that he was addicted to this year.

“So, Boss. What are you going to do?”

Hearing Dorron’s straightforward question, Korin gave a smirk. In his hand was a bottle of oil and a burning matchstick—

“I will teach them a lesson; that everything can burn!”

Flick!

He tossed the matchstick to the shed as the shed was then immediately swept away by tall scorching flames.

“Ah...”

The freshmen students that arrived at the shed after a long and arduous journey were appalled at the sight of the burning shed.

“Crazy! They must be crazy!”

“Some lunatic set the final destination on fire!”

Unbeknownst to most of the freshmen, there was unfortunately a lunatic in the 2nd grade.