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Bonita's sharp sword tip pierced through Cain's leather jacket.
'Success.'
Now, Bonita's side was next to be cut.
Then.
Bang!
With a powerful explosion, the mercenary wielding a sword at Bonita was sent flying far away.
"I knew these thugs would do this. Bonita, are you okay?"
A familiar voice.
"Ugh!"
Almost simultaneously, Cain coughed up blood and staggered backward.
Bonita's thrust attack had landed perfectly.
He needed to pull out the sword, but he didn't have the strength left to do so.
He could barely stand, struggling to keep his legs from giving out.
Then, a hand suddenly emerged from Bonita's side.
A hand that pulled the sword stuck in Cain's chest out with a pop.
"Seeing you let go of your sword, I guess you're not okay?"
"Nonsense. I can still do a lot more."
"Really? Then I guess I don't need to apologize for being too late."
"Apologize for what."
Davian placed the sword in Bonita's hand.
Thud.
Cain's massive body crashed to the ground.
Two mercenaries remained.
"Let's, let's run!"
The two mercenaries quickly took off, trying to escape the scene.
Or, they were trying to escape.
Whoosh. Whoosh.
Davian's sharp wind magic cut through the necks of the two fleeing mercenaries.
"Where do you think you're going? After putting my friend in this state."
"Whatever... showing off."
Davian took out a potion from his pocket and handed it to Bonita.
"Drink this. And put some on your wounds."
Bonita drank about a third of the potion and started applying it to the large wounds first.
She was fine when she was fighting, but now that the fight was over and she was applying the potion, she winced in pain.
"Bonita, what was that last attack? Were you trying to die together?"
"If I was going to go, I was going to take one more with me, why?"
"You're so ruthless."
Bonita turned her head to look at Davian.
"What's so ruthless about it? Isn't it obvious? Would you just die alone?"
"Why are you getting so serious? I just meant it like that."
"I'm never going to die meaninglessly like that. Never."
Davian nodded.
'That's right.'
At least until Davian graduates, Bonita can't die meaninglessly.
'Because there are quite a few quests that I'll definitely need you for.'
Her wounds seemed to be healing quite a bit, as Bonita swung her shoulder around.
"By the way, how did you know to come here?"
"Don't even ask. The kids are all split up in groups looking for you. Liber said that Leonel hates losing more than anything. Since he lost from the very first round, there's no telling what he might do next."
"I see."
"Anyway, I noticed the mercenaries disappearing in droves, so I followed them and saw them all scattering and secretly climbing the mountain."
Bonita nodded.
"Thanks. Davian Onair."
"What's with that? After all this time."
"I mean it. I'll never forget that you saved my life. I'll pay you back someday."
"Pay me back? That's something people who have a grudge do, isn't it?"
Bonita smacked Davian on the back.
"Could you carry that tiger for me? As you can see, I'm not in great shape..."
She seemed to have regained her energy, but she was still covered in wounds.
Still, they were healing quickly after she drank and applied the high-grade potion.
Davian took off his school uniform jacket and handed it to Bonita.
"Your clothes are all torn."
Then, he went over to where the tiger was and slung it over his shoulder.
Of course, the tiger was so big that it was dragging behind him.
"You're strong, Davian."
"Am I as strong as Nubes, though?"
6 PM.
Eastern Plaza.
The Security Captain Cleon, looking at the clock tower, said.
"In the end, the Leonel Exploration Team's contestant did not return. We will declare the Gray Bear Exploration Team the winner of this second hunting match as well."
Bang!
Leonel kicked the table and stood up.
"They're definitely up to something! This is a forfeit loss!"
Thud, thud.
Davian walked forward.
"Where are all the mercenaries you hired?"
"What? Where does this young one suddenly think he can speak to me so rudely?"
"I'm of the opinion that I can speak rudely to people who don't deserve to be treated like adults."
"What an absurd fellow...!"
Thump.
Davian used telekinesis to pull one of Leonel's people towards him.
The person who was pulled was lifted up by Davian, who grabbed him by the neck.
"This archer. Leonel, you sent him to the mountain, didn't you? Along with the mercenaries. To get rid of Bonita."
Leonel looked like he had no idea what Davian was talking about.
Well.
He didn't think he would confess so easily.
"You little brat. What nonsense are you spouting?"
"It'll all come out if you investigate."
Davian looked at the Security Captain Cleon, who was the judge for the second match.
"Investigate this man. And go into that mountain as well. Just follow the trail of the tiger being dragged down. If you look at the traces of the battle there, you'll be able to tell who was trying to harm whom. I left it as it was, preserved."
Swish.
Leonel drew his sword and pointed it at Davian.
"Are you saying that I, Leonel, would do something so foolish just to win against you? I, the eldest son of the Specula family?"
Davian let go of the archer and stepped back.
He showed both of his palms, clearly indicating that he had no intention of fighting.
"Oh? You're going to fight here? Then are you admitting that you ordered the mercenaries to kill Bonita?"
"I heard you majored in something like cross-disciplinary studies. It seems like you learned how to wag your tongue at the academy first."
"No, that's not it. If you're innocent, you should claim your innocence, so why are you drawing your sword and causing a fuss? Is that the way of the Specula family?"
"If you insult me and my family any further, I will slit your throat."
"In front of the Security Captain? And in front of all these citizens? Anyway, does that mean you're admitting everything?"
Liber, who was watching from behind, looked around at his friends with wide eyes.
"Guys, shouldn't we stop them? My older brother is about to become a 7-star swordsman! Davian might get seriously hurt."
Bonita raised her palm to calm Liber down.
"Let's wait a bit. Davian probably has a plan."
Davian looked at the Security Captain.
"Is it okay to draw a sword and cause a disturbance like that in the middle of the plaza? There are innocent citizens here, too?"
Security Captain Cleon looked at Leonel.
"Put your sword down. Even if you're angry, you can't just do this..."
"Cleon, you're someone I invited! Whose side are you on right now!"
Security Captain Cleon shook his head.
Then, he took out a whistle and blew it loudly.
Peeeee.
"The city guards will be here soon. Please calm down. If you want, we can go up the mountain together and sort out who's in the wrong. Oh, some of the guards are already up the mountain. These friends told me to send them earlier."
Leonel's eyes flickered for a moment.
'They've already sent people to investigate the scene of the battle?'
Then it wouldn't be difficult to find out that the mercenaries attacked Bonita.
And the other traces that would be left at the scene...
The deliberation and judgment didn't last long.
Slash!
Leonel swung his sword.
"Ugh, ugh."
The archer who had been dragged out by Davian had his neck cut off.
The Security Captain shouted.
"What are you doing!"
Clack.
Leonel slid his sword back into its sheath.
"I've been watching him since earlier. Seeing how he keeps glancing around, it seems he was colluding with the mercenaries. So I took care of him. In the manner of our family, since he was one of our family's people."
Then, he looked back and forth between the Security Captain and Davian.
He put strength into his voice, as if he wanted them to hear everything.
"It seems that this incident was caused by the mercenaries, who were resentful that they lost the first game, acting on their own."
Leonel turned around and looked at his subordinates.
"Let's go! The Leonel Exploration Team is withdrawing from Mane City."
The next day, afternoon.
Deep in the Perum Mountains.
Bellum, who seemed to be getting tired of the continuous mountain climbing, asked.
"By the way, what's going to happen to Leonel now? Is he going to be punished? They said he can't leave Mane City until the Security Team's investigation is over. Is he still being held in that lodging?"
Liber shook his head.
"My older brother will probably put everything on that mercenary captain and the mercenaries. But the mercenaries are all dead already, right? Then no one will be punished for this incident."
Liber suddenly hung his head.
"I'm sorry... Bonita. I didn't know my older brother would go that far."
Bonita smacked Liber on the back.
"What are you talking about? It was the mercenary captain Cain who tried to kill me. And I killed him with my own hands."
"Still..."
Bonita stopped walking.
"And even if your older brother tried to kill me, I don't care. Leonel is Leonel, and Liber is Liber. You don't even look alike, anyway."
"That's because our mothers are diffe..."
Liber, who was about to blurt out something about his family history without thinking, covered his mouth with his hand.
Bellum quickly came over and put Liber in a headlock.
"Why are you so down again, blabbermouth! Bonita said it's okay!"
"Y-yeah. Thank you, Bonita."
Bonita started walking again.
"We're the ones who are grateful. Liber, you abandon your family and your older brother and take our side. Always."
After walking through the mountains for a long time, the Gray Bear Exploration Team stopped in front of a large cave.
"Hah, hah."
Latia took a rough breath.
She was struggling, but it was different from the last mountain climb.
She had succeeded in keeping up without Davian's help.
Davian asked.
"Latia, do you do morning runs every day?"
"Not, hah. A single, hah hah. Day off."
While Latia was catching her breath, Liber opened his mouth.
"I think this is the right cave."
Davian nodded briefly.
"This is the place."
Liber peered into the dark cave and asked.
"Now we just have to go in and get that fifth trace or whatever and come out, right?"
Davian replied.
"Yeah, that's right."
It wasn't a lie.
Now, they just had to go into the cave, get the fifth trace, and come out.
But.
Liber answered instead of Davian.
"But... it's not going to be that easy."
"Why? What is it now?"
"He said that there were various traps set up on the way to find each trace. A total of eleven casualties occurred before my older brother's team found all four traces."
Nubes' face quickly turned pale.
"Ca... casualties? You mean people died?"
"Yeah. They were all different kinds of traps. I guess Fabian the Archmage deliberately created them to prevent just anyone from finding the traces."
"Oh my gosh. Then what kind of trap is here?"
"I don't know."
"Oh my gosh."
Davian stood in front of his friends.
"Only Bonita and I are going in. You guys stay here at the cave entrance."
Bellum asked.
"Why? Why are you two going in and we're staying here?"
"Well, just in case Leonel tries something again. You have to stand guard outside the cave entrance."
Nubes nodded.
But Bellum's question hadn't been fully answered yet.
"So why are you two going in and we're staying here? What's the selection criteria?"
"Running speed."
"Running?"
Davian had found up to six traces of the Archmage.
So he already knew about the trap set up on the way to find the fifth trace.
"What's the scariest accident that comes to mind when you think of a mine?"
At Davian's question, Latia answered.
"A mine collapsing and burying people?"
Davian nodded.
She's smart after all.
"That's right. The trap you'll encounter on the way to find the fifth trace is exactly that. A collapse."
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