漫画大王

Chapter 105

I carried the sleeping Harriet back to camp, and after laying her properly down in the hut, I went out to where the campfire was.

The fire had been extinguished, but the day had already broken, giving the sky a dark blue hue.

“... Shouldn’t the mission be ending now?” asked Connor Lint, his voice filled with hope.

We had discovered that the other survivors were actually orcs, and had even managed to take them down. Since that was so, then the mission should be over by now.

“There must be one more left.”

“Ah, is that so...?”

There were two trails. If the trail that Class B had followed also led to an orc, that meant that there were, in fact, two orcs that needed to be hunted.

“So, does that mean we have to hunt the last orc?”

“Yeah. If Class B manages to hunt down the orc that they were after, that would probably signal the end of the mission.”

But there was a problem.

Class B did not have the capabilities to fight an orc.

Originally, the orc was supposed to chase them until only Ludwig and Delphine were left, and then Ellen would make her dramatic appearance and confront the last orc.

At that point in time, Ellen would have already hunted one orc down on her own, and she would then take down the remaining one as well.

Ludwig was supposed to be utterly astounded as he watched Ellen demonstrate her skills for the very first time... But since Ellen was, at the moment, right in front of me, such an event was not going to happen.

If they faced the remaining orc, Class B would lead themselves to destruction. At that moment, though, Ellen and I were simply staring blankly at the sky together.

What were we to do...

I wanted to help Charlotte somehow, but it would mean that Ellen would have to step forward. Given her personality, it was likely that she would follow me willingly if I suggested going.

“Uh, what... What is this?”

Suddenly, all of our artifacts began to glow.

Flash!

We were all teleported somewhere in a flash of light.

After the sudden activation of the Recall artifact, we found ourselves on a beach that was similar yet different from the one we had just been on. One of the differences was that, near the shore, there was a line of bungalows, like what one would expect in a resort.

“The special mission has been completed. As of now, the group mission is concluded.”

In front of us stood Mr. Effenhauser and Ms. Mustang. Harriet seemed even more surprised than the rest of us, having been suddenly teleported while asleep.

The sky was gradually becoming a bright sky-blue...

***

“Four Class A survivors in total. One orc hunted down. The individual who made the kill was A-5, Harriet de Saint-Ouen.”

Mr. Effenhauser looked over at Class B.

“One survivor from Class B. One orc hunted down. The individual who made the kill was B-1, Charlotte de Gradias.”

Charlotte was frowning with her arms crossed, looking displeased.

There was only one survivor from Class B: Charlotte. And it was Charlotte who had taken down the orc.

That simple result had so many implications that I couldn’t help but feel a bit dazed.

Charlotte must have used her supernatural powers to take down the orc, since she couldn’t have used a weapon. Although I didn’t know what Charlotte’s supernatural ability was, it was clear that she could take down an orc on her own.

Originally, Ellen was supposed to hunt down both orcs, and as I had anticipated, Class B had failed to take down the orc. However, Charlotte, the single unexpected variable, had managed to take it down.

“You will be notified of the overall results and the outcome of who emerged victorious in the mission later on. For now, rest.”

After mentioning that we could freely use the bungalows behind us, Mr. Effenhauser walked away brusquely, as he always did.

“You’ve all worked hard. Rest up today.”

Ms. Mustang led all of us, regardless of class, towards the bungalows, and suggested we take the time to get comfortable.

The cooperative mission had ended...

[Event Complete]

[You have received 1,000 achievement points.]

Honestly, leaving the achievement points and everything else aside, all I really wanted to do was wash up and crash into bed.

***

Those who were eliminated earlier had been summoned back here through Recall magic to wait until the mission was over.

“Waiting” might sound boring and mundane, but it was actually a reward in disguise. This place was designed like a beach resort, very different from the wild jungle that we had just been in moments ago.

We were on a crescent-shaped island, with a deep bay that was filled with calm water, perfect for swimming. And unlike the rough meals we had been having until now, proper food was served, and there were appropriate accommodations for resting in.

Since the mission had ended, this place was ours to enjoy, and we’d spend the entire weekend here, just relaxing.

So, in a way, those who had been eliminated first really hit the jackpot.

I sprawled out and slept until around noon. New clothes had also been prepared for us, so I changed out of everything, from my underwear to my outerwear.

At the beach, I saw Ludwig and others from Class B splashing around in the water and having fun. Everyone was wearing swimsuits, which was a slight change from before.

“Hey, Reinhart.”

“Hey.”

Vertus, who had changed into resort-style clothes, waved at me. He was holding a cup containing a lemon-flavored smoothie in his right hand. I was lying on a sunbed, idly sipping on fruit punch.

I was not usually into sweet things, but sometimes I did crave something sugary, especially in situations like this. It was all about pumping in those calories.

I was sprawled out, completely relaxed, mentally exhausted while enjoying the cool drink that was entering my system.

Vertus was doing the same thing. It made him seem like a rich, handsome kid living the high life.

Vertus flopped down onto the sunbed next to me and burst out into a resigned laugh.

“I would have given up sooner if I’d known it was going to be like this.”

“Tell me about it.”

It seemed ridiculous to Vertus that the participants who had been eliminated had actually been having a better time than him. Of course, surviving on the island longer earned you a higher individual score, so for those that cared about grades, it was far better to last till the end.

Vertus lay down on the sunbed next to me and sighed.

“Now that the environment is supporting us, it feels like heaven.”

When we thought it was a deserted island, we had been desperate to leave, but now that we were in this part of it that was properly set up, it was ridiculous how the scenery suddenly began to catch our eye, making this place feel considerably more beautiful.

“Still, I hope we don’t have to go through this kind of ordeal again,” he said.

“Agreed.”

Having experienced the ordeal I’d set up first hand had made it even more horrific. Forcing kids to play out a real-life episode of “Survivor”. When I thought about it now, it was a wonder how we managed to survive at all.

Anyway, the mission had ended on Thursday morning, not on Sunday evening as originally scheduled. Therefore, we could spend the remaining time which included the weekend on this precious beach resort.

Now, the real “field trip” began.

Vertus got up from the sunbed, looked down at me, and smiled.

“Anyway, great job, Reinhart. They seem to be asleep right now, but pass along my respect to Ellen and Saint-Ouen as well.”

“Will do. You did well too.”

I’d taken the initiative to do something first, and Vertus had stepped up to lead the others after that. It was true that he’d gone through a lot as well, and had even gone head-to-head with an orc.

My gaze met Riana’s, who was lazily sipping her drink a couple of sunbeds over.

“You too. You did a great job.”

Riana nodded while still lying down. “You too.”

‘Would it be an exaggeration to say that this cooperative mission has fostered a sense of camaraderie among us Class A students?’

I was starkly reminded that a unique sense of bonding often developed among people who had gone through hardships together.

***

As noon passed, those who were passed out began to stir awake.

“Ugh... every part of my body aches. I feel like I’m dying.”

“Are... Are you okay, Harriet?”

“No... How about you, Adelia?”

“Me? I... I just... got teleported here as soon as I got captured... It was scary and shocking, but I’m not hurt.”

“That’s good... Let’s go eat.”

“Yeah. The dining hall’s over there.”

“Finally, I can have something good to eat...”

Harriet, looking exhausted, rose and headed towards the dining area with Adelia. Evidently, roaming through the jungle in the middle of the night had taken its toll on both of them, both mentally and physically.

Harriet caught my eye on her way to the dining area.

“Did you sleep well?” I asked.

“Yeah.”

Harriet avoided my gaze slightly as she walked off.

Now that we were in a safe environment, all sorts of memories had to be flooding back to her—the instances of her clinging to me, crying, whining about what to do, and many other things.

In moments where she experienced mental breakdown, she depended on me, and now that it was no longer necessary, it seemed her sanity had returned. Her mind was probably filled with thoughts like, “What have I done? Did I seriously say that? I must have been crazy!”

She would probably be like this for a while...

—Reinhart! Aren’t you coming to swim?

Ludwig, splashing around with some others a fair distance away, gestured and called out to me. Now that the mission was over, they were purely in it for the fun.

“Swimming’s gotten boring, you nutcase!”

—Really? Well, it can’t be helped then!

Were they actually crazy? How could they keep playing like that?

Puff!

And then, I saw a girl in a swimsuit doing breaststroke far out in the sea beyond the bay.

It was none other than Ellen.

Ellen, after faffing about for a while, finally came back, a lobster skewered on the end of her javelin. Dressed in her swimsuit, she approached me and pointed at the sizable lobster on her spear.

“Let’s eat this.”

“... This again?”

It was somewhat surprising that she was willing to eat it together, but did she really want to eat this again?

***

While everyone was enjoying the lavish food spread before them at the dining hall, Ellen specifically brought the lobster she had caught.

She was only wearing a tracksuit over her swimsuit. In fact, there were quite a few from Class B eating in their swimsuits as well.

“... Do you really want to eat this again?”

“I wanted to eat it cooked with seasoning.”

Ellen seemed curious about how delicious the giant lobster—which was already tasty on its own—would be once it had been properly prepared. She had dropped it off with the staff working at the dining hall, and they were preparing it.

All the staff who were working in the resort were from the Temple, so the chef preparing our food would also be a member of the Temple staff.

Therefore, their skill was indeed guaranteed.

However, it seemed like Ellen wasn’t planning on eating the lobster at all, since she had already piled her plate with fried rice, sausages, and pasta, and was devouring it all. Perhaps she was making up for all the times she hadn’t been able to eat her fill, as she was eating more than usual.

Soon, the grilled lobster with garlic butter and gratin was served.

Indeed, the well-prepared lobster was even more delicious.

The appetizing smell naturally attracted the attention of those in the dining hall who were having their meals.

However, there was only one lobster dish, since it had been personally caught by Ellen.

“You guys can have some.”

At her invitation, Harriet, Riana, Adelia, and even Vertus came over and had a taste.

“Not bad.”

“It’s weird how I’m not sick of it, and it’s still delicious.”

Everyone praised the cooked lobster for being better than expected.

“I kind of feel like the one we had on the first day was more delicious... Eek.”

Harriet found the one we’d eaten on the first day more tasty, possibly because it had been so unexpected, and there was some sort of psychological discounting at play. She flushed red, seemingly displeased with herself for finding it tasty.

Indeed, such factors couldn’t be ignored.

Even the students from Class B hesitantly asked if they could have some, and then tried a bite.

“You eat a ton but you’re still willing to share?” I asked Ellen.

“I can always catch more.”

“Ah, is that how it is?”

It was a simple mindset: if there’s a shortage, just catch more.

I thought I’d had my fill of lobster for a while, but after tasting it, it turned out to be delicious enough that I ended up eating quite a bit.

And then, I remembered something I had forgotten.

“Ah, the leather hide!”

“Ah.”

The thought had apparently struck Ellen at the same time.

***

After we finished our meal, Ellen and I went looking for Mr. Effenhauser. It seemed he was also intent on enjoying himself like the rest of us, as he was lying languidly on a sunbed wearing something like an aloha shirt.

Honestly, this world was really strange to me...

The outfits here were so inconsistent with the supposed time period, just like my mental state was. There were things like aloha shirts and synthetic fibers and all that, yet how these things were being made was beyond me.

It was a ridiculous amalgamation of modern, medieval, and fantasy elements.

“If you’ve come to ask about ‘that’, I’ve collected it. It’s been sent for chemical treatment, and you’ll be able to retrieve it by the time we return to the Temple.”

Mr. Effenhauser had provided an unexpected answer to my question about the jaguar hide. I hadn’t expected that he would take care of such things, now that the mission was over.

“Think of it as spoils from the mission.”

It seemed he had left it with someone who specialized in taxidermy. The money we earned from selling it would be split between Ellen, me, and Delphine.

Having finished our meal, I lay down on a sunbed, and Ellen lay down on the one next to me.

In my current state, I felt as though I could sleep until the day after tomorrow.

We received a fairly generous allowance from the Temple, so it wasn’t like I was in urgent need of money. It was just nice to have, really.

“What will you do with the money?”

“Nothing in particular.”

Ellen seemed to have no particular plans either.

Though she didn’t say much, she must have been quite tired as well, for she soon fell asleep.

She had done her job exceptionally well, without a single complaint.

Ellen had looked seriously exhausted in the jungle, and I had only seen her dirty and disheveled until now. However, she had cleaned up now, and her face and hair were bright and dry.

I draped a towel over her legs and got up from my spot.

Just having a place to sleep, food to eat, and clothes to wear could turn a stark hell into paradise.

It made you realize life really wasn’t all that complicated.

—Reinhart! Come in! It’s fun!

“Do you seriously have a thing for swimming or something?”

Ludwig had, once again, gone into the water after eating and was having a blast.

Tap.

“So, what do you say?”

The one who had suddenly approached me and tapped my shoulder was Vertus.

“We don’t get to do this often, so should we go play?”

That reminded me that Vertus hadn’t gone into the sea even once during the mission.

When you think about it, it was almost like a boss’s orders.

I sighed. “Alright then, I’ll give it a try.”

‘I’ll show you how an ahjussi[1] plays in the water.’

1. ”Ahjussi” is a Korean term used to address middle-aged or older men. ☜