Chapter 2: Doodle Valley
An ominous aura filled the forest.
Sensing it once again, I exchanged glances with Kimijima.
“It’s coming. Stay alert.”
“Another high-level monster? This is the second time today!”
Nishina also tensed up, scanning our surroundings.
The four of us held our breaths, trying not to make a sound as we gauged the atmosphere around us. I crouched low, my right hand gripping the hilt of my sword, my thumb resting on the guard.
Rustle… rustle…
A faint sound of scales brushing against the ground and the crunch of dried leaves reached my ears. There was no mistaking it—this was a Horned Serpent, a massive snake with horns on its head. Soon, the sound of movement stopped. It was probably coiling its body like a spring, preparing to strike. From beyond the trees, an unmistakable killing intent and a mountain-like surge of magical energy swirled.
“It’s coming…”
It might not head straight for me, but the students were still taking cover behind me. Feeling their presence at my back, I remained crouched, ready to draw my sword.
As I focused, my detection abilities heightened. Even though I couldn’t see the monster through the thicket, its form began to take shape in my mind. Like a tightly drawn bowstring being released, the Horned Serpent launched itself toward me in an instant.
The mass of killing intent came hurtling through the trees, but in my heightened state of concentration, it all seemed to move in slow motion. I shifted slightly to the side, dodging its path as I drew my blade. I wasn’t entirely familiar with the serpent’s anatomy, but I aimed to strike near its neck.
The blade, infused with condensed magical energy, sliced through the serpent’s body as if it met no resistance, cleaving it cleanly and sending its remains soaring into the sky.
“Our bags are already full,”
“Yeah, we might as well head back early today,”
Once a monster was defeated, the process of dismantling it began. In this world, monster materials were used for various purposes, and we provided these materials to the Durham state military, who had taken us under their care.
We were allowed to freely climb the ranks, but there was one important rule we were told to follow: to supply the army with monster materials. After losing a significant portion of its territory and facing financial difficulties, the Durham State relied on the income from selling these materials to maintain its military.
Nishina and Sakuragi had sought the help of the Durham state military to rescue us after we were transported to Gallar Blue. In return, we promised to work for the state military after being rescued.
Personally, I felt somewhat uneasy about the fact that the students’ futures had been decided for them because of me. However, the two of them were actually quite positive about joining the Durham state military.
“The Durham state military is surprisingly laid-back, They’re more like adventurers than a strict, rule-bound military. It’s comfortable, and honestly, I feel lucky.”
Nishina said.
Indeed, Kimijima and I were also under the care of the Durham state military, and so far, we had no complaints. In fact, I was starting to feel quite at ease with the arrangement.
As we worked on dismantling the monster, Sakuragi looked at me and muttered,
“But if you keep hunting high-level monsters, Sensei, you might rank up faster than us.”
“What do you think? I’m already raised fifth rank up. I doubt I’ll climb much higher.”
“I wish I could rank up faster too,”
Watching the three students, it was as if they were obsessed with ranking up, like leveling up in a game. Fortunately, Nishina had a healing-focused guardian spirit, so minor injuries didn’t bother them much. Still, it was nerve-wracking to watch at times.
That said, seeing the students enjoying themselves after being transported from Earth was a relief to me.
However, there was one thing that worried me.
It was about Kohinata. When Kimijima tried to use the teleportation magic circle, Kohinata had interfered with the priest and sent us to Gallar Blue. Normally, that would be considered a crime on the level of attempted murder. However, since we had just been transported to this world, the laws here didn’t apply to us yet.
Even so, Kohinata had been labeled as a “high-risk teleportee” and was sent to a newly developed land on the continent.
Kohinata had always been rebellious, but after coming to this world, he had received the protection of a dangerous spirit. If the spirit’s influence was to blame, then it wasn’t Kohinata’s fault. It was my role as a Sensei to guide him so he wouldn’t be swayed by it… I kept repeating this to myself.
What Kohinata had done was unforgivable, but he was still my student.
I was tormented by an unavoidable sense of conflict.
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“Sensei, thank you,” Nishina said.
“Don’t mention it. But honestly, I couldn’t have done it alone.”
“What are you talking about? You’re a Celestial ranked—”
“Hey, Nishina! Don’t laugh!”
Lately, it felt like they were teasing me about becoming Celestial ranked. In the midst of all the struggles we’d faced since coming to this world, if it lightened the mood, I didn’t mind.
While Nishina and Sakuragi automatically became part of the state military and began their activities, Kimijima and I also joined them. As Camilla had mentioned, we were placed under the care of the state military, which allowed us to stay with Nishina and Sakuragi.
After dropping off the monster materials at the reception and waiting for the hunting rewards to be processed, I was approached by Yarzak, who asked me to come to his room.
“Ah, Shigeto-sensei, thank you for coming,”
Yarzak said, bowing slightly as usual. Perhaps because Kimijima and the others called me “Sensei,” he had started addressing me the same way.
“What’s the matter? Is something wrong?”
“No, nothing’s wrong at the moment. I just wanted to explain how to handle it if adventurers come and challenge you to a fight.”
Yarzak began explaining the concept of rank replacement. In this world, rank replacement only occurred during a fair and honorable duel. The ranking system ensured that rank changes wouldn’t happen unless both parties fought with their full strength.
Therefore, the most important thing was to never accept a challenge, he said.
However, challengers would likely try to provoke me in various ways. As long as I didn’t engage with them, it wouldn’t become a problem.
Hearing this put me at ease, but there was no guarantee that someone wouldn’t go to extreme lengths to fight me.
This made me anxious about whether I’d be allowed to officially join the federal army.
“I don’t think that’ll be a problem,” Yarzak assured me. “Though there might be some checks and procedures.”
According to Yarzak, there was no way the federal army would turn me down.
In fact, while the federal army had about four Celestial ranked individuals, their numbers were significantly lower compared to the major powers. Since the number of Celestial ranked individuals was an indicator of a nation’s military strength, the federal army wouldn’t refuse someone like me.
It was almost like the possession of nuclear weapons.
After thanking Yarzak and leaving his room, I was invited by Kimijima and the others to head to the cafeteria. In this town, there weren’t many dining options, so we often ate at the state military’s mess hall. Compared to the days of surviving on rations during our escape, this was a welcome change, though I couldn’t help but feel a little curious about the diverse food cultures of this world.
“I wonder if I could be placed under the federal army’s care too…” K
“Huh? I don’t think you’d have a problem, Kimijima. You’ve got the protection of a great spirit, after all.”
“Hmm, maybe I’ll ask about it.”
“Where you end up working should be based on your own wishes. The federal army probably offers better pay than the state military, which is struggling financially after losing so much territory.”
As I answered Kimijima, Nishina and Sakuragi exchanged meaningful glances.
“Sensei~, I don’t think the pay matters to Senpai,”
“Yeah, what are you talking about?”
“Huh? But in a world where the future is uncertain, isn’t that important?”
“No, that’s not what I meant—”
“Nishina-kun!”
“Ah, sorry…”
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