It was when Jiro was engaging the knights waiting inside the cathedral with all his might that the story returned.
“Isn’t it noisy outside?”
“Now that you mention it… did something happen today?”
“I don’t think so.”
Male students talking in the dormitory lounge noticed the commotion outside. The unusual noise, not heard in the usually quiet cathedral, made them scratch their heads, wondering if there was some special event planned. Both of them thought that today was supposed to be a completely normal everyday life. There was a classmate who had fallen ill and was hospitalized, but other than that, nothing particularly out of the ordinary had happened.
“Did some important person suddenly come for an inspection?”
“Ah, but this is the headquarters, right? It’s a place where important people are always present.”
“No, like they came from another country.”
“That’s probably not the case, if you think about it logically.”
One of the male students said that it would be strange for there to be such a commotion if an important figure from another country were to visit. The other male student, however, agreed, but that brought them back to the question of what this commotion was about. It was a natural action to leave their seats in the lounge and approach the window to see. They approached the window in the direction of the noise and looked outside.
“…Did something happen?”
“Yeah.”
What they saw were soldiers moving about in a panic. The commander was shouting orders, and the soldiers were moving in response. They lined up their shields, holding spears in one hand, with mages lined up behind them. It was such a strange sight, as if they were defending the building from something, that it could no longer be dismissed as their imagination.
“Hey, what do we do?”
“What do you mean, what do we do?”
“Well, like, what about after this?”
“For now, should we gather where everyone is?”
The two, unsettled by the unusual sight, naturally showed tension in their tone. The only action they could take was to look for any classmates who might be gathering to gather information. Thinking that they would likely find classmates gathered downstairs, they descended from the lounge on the second floor.
“Sasagawa, what happened? There were a lot of soldiers gathered outside!”
Perhaps it was the relief of seeing their classmates gathered at the entrance after hearing the commotion, but one of the male students’ voices rose unintentionally due to the backlash of anxiety.
“I don’t know. Manami has been asking, but the soldiers won’t open the door and say it’s dangerous to go outside.”
Listening to the explanation from Sasagawa, a female classmate, they looked towards the entrance and saw Saeki frantically pressing the soldier standing guard, preventing the door from being opened. Meanwhile, the commotion outside continued to grow louder.
“Hey, didn’t you hear an explosion just now?”
“Yeah, it was small, but I think I heard it.”
“It wasn’t your imagination. Look, I heard it again. Hey, are they fighting?”
“Fighting? Who’s fighting?”
“How should I know!”
The explosion sounds, likely from magic, reached the ears of the students who had become heroes, even from afar. The disturbance caused by this was deep and ingrained. Just a few months ago, they were ordinary students. The reality that the place they thought was safe, without any actual combat experience, might not be safe after all, delivered a shock far greater than they could have imagined. To be confined by soldiers who told them not to go outside because it was dangerous, without explaining the situation, only served to heighten their anxiety rather than reassure them.
“That’s why we’re demanding an explanation!! We can’t just be told to stay here because it’s dangerous and be satisfied!!”
“We are not authorized to explain. The Knight Commander is on his way to quell the situation. Please wait for a while.”
As if to voice their feelings, Saeki appealed loudly, but the soldier, through his armor, gently refused his plea.
“The Knight Commander is on his way? Isn’t that pretty serious?”
To the soldiers, it might have been an explanation meant to reassure them. It was a statement that could only be made with the confidence and trust that comes from knowing the Knight Commander’s abilities and personality. However, how would the recipients, who lacked either of those qualities, interpret the information? The students knew of the Knight Commander’s abilities but didn’t know his personality in detail and couldn’t fully trust him. They also didn’t know the full extent of his strength. Within the information provided, the students thought to themselves: He might be strong, but is the situation dire enough for such a person to be involved?
“Hey, hey. Shouldn’t we help out too?”
“You idiot! What are you talking about? That’s an opponent the Knight Commander has to deal with! It’s not our place!”
“Yeah, sorry.”
“No, I was too harsh.”
They take measures against danger. The Japanese students, educated in this way, were able to stop thinking and consider what to do thanks to their education. What was proving useful at the moment was their knowledge of earthquakes and acts of terrorism they had seen on the news. Even so, as students, they lacked specialized knowledge. The most they could do was grab emergency food and valuables and quickly move to a shelter. The words of the male student earlier were merely a suggestion, having included the combat power they had acquired in recent months as an option for countermeasures. However, the thinking of Japanese people prioritizes safety above all else. The suggestion was quickly rejected. While they were considering what to do, the situation continued to change.
“Hey, hey, isn’t the sound getting louder than before?”
“R-really? Isn’t it your imagination?”
“It’s definitely getting louder!”
Up until now, only explosion sounds that seemed like magic could be heard, but now, clear explosive sounds began to be mixed in. In addition, sounds that shook the building could also be heard. To someone on the scene, this would have been the time when Jiro drew his Ore Tree and began fighting the Knight Commander. Using slash attacks, flying blades tore up the ground and cut through buildings. It was impossible to fight quietly while intercepting magic and engaging in a free-for-all battle with the Knight Commander. Those sounds further unsettled the students. Even the male student who insisted it was their imagination knew the truth. The battle was getting increasingly intense. If there were students who would step up and take charge with their sense of justice, things might be different, but the teachers who were supposed to be in charge hadn’t been seen for over a month. Although there were class representatives, they lacked charisma and could only follow manual-based procedures. The class’s actions were about to come to a standstill.
“The entrance opened!!”
At that moment, a change occurred. One of the soldiers noticed the knocking on the door and opened it. A knight clad in magnificent armor entered.
“Captain.”
“Are all the heroes here?”
Though one of the students shouted, the knight ignored him and asked the nearby soldier about the number of heroes.
“No, not all of them.”
“Then gather everyone. The Bishop has ordered that the heroes be evacuated.”
“Huh? Evacuate?”
“Yes. The battle has intensified more than expected. This is an order from the Bishop, who wishes to avoid any unforeseen circumstances. Move quickly if you understand.”
“Yes!”
Evacuation. When they heard that word, the students’ predicted possibilities turned into a firm belief that the danger was indeed real. Consequently, their actions naturally followed what their knowledge dictated. Move away from dangerous places. Even though they were given the status of heroes, they were still immature students. They did not refuse to follow their common sense survival instincts, which urged them to seek a safe place. The students quickly gathered the students who were in the dormitory but not present here.
“Um, what about Miyagawa-san?”
“She is being protected here. Rest assured.”
“Y-yes.”
“Ayana, hurry!”
“Okay.”
While taking a headcount, Sasagawa worried about Amelia, who was not present, but upon hearing that she was already being protected, she said nothing more. Instead, urged by the class representative Saeki, preparations for evacuation began.
“Is this really an order from the Bishop?”
“Ah, yes, a messenger came. There is no mistake, the instruction was to evacuate them ‘without any harm’.”
“Understood. Please leave this to us.”
“Yes, I’ll leave it to you.”
Here, those who had taken on the appearance of students through face-ripping, the spies, interjected with doubt. They, who could not originally operate for long periods, wanted to remain here if possible. What’s more, they had not received such an order. While it was possible that this was an emergency measure due to unforeseen circumstances, it was not a time for the spies to act carelessly. They spoke to the knight to gain a basis for their actions. At that moment, they did not forget to mix in a coded gesture that would be understood by those of a certain rank. Three blinks, then two with a pause. This signaled to the knight that they were spies. Perhaps sensing this, the knight responded with a code. ‘Without any harm’ referred to the possibility of damage to the heroes, who could become God’s weapons. This was an emergency instruction that had been conveyed to the spies. Once they knew this, their actions were also swift. Possessing emergency magic stones, they mingled with the students and proceeded with evacuation preparations.
“Then, please follow me.”
Under the soldier’s guidance, the students, carrying their valuables and equipment, formed a column and began to move. The principle of “Oha-shin” (pushing, running, talking). During evacuation drills, some students playfully ignored it, but this was the real deal, and everyone earnestly followed the evacuation instructions. They moved further and further away from the sounds of battle. Just that alone began to restore the students’ composure. Just a little more, and they would be safe. With that thought in mind, they proceeded and were guided into a building they had never entered before. They were expecting to flee outside, so they wondered. They assumed they were moving to a separate building a little further away. Conversely, the spies who had infiltrated them showed signs of understanding. Ahead lay a teleportation circle, a secret facility that consumed a vast amount of magic power but enabled travel between cities. They surmised that they were probably being moved to another city and that it would serve as another base. One of the spies thought to themselves that they must be cornered to this extent, or perhaps an important facility had been destroyed, and they would need to gather information later.
“The advance notice has been made. The destination is a city south of here, so after teleporting, please follow the instructions of the soldiers at the destination. Also, please enter the circle as instructed by the mages.” With that, the soldier saluted and left the building. No one questioned his actions. They simply assumed that he was going to resolve the incident. The students also showed understanding regarding the teleportation as an evacuation method, thinking “Is this how they evacuate?” This was a notion born from the fixed idea that, like when the Self-Defense Force evacuates people by helicopter, professionals would transport them safely and quickly without crashing. In reality, they should have thought that such a thing was impossible, but the students, who had experienced fantasy, for better or worse, did not doubt, even though they were tense, and entered the circle, thinking that professionals would be fine.
“Did everyone enter the circle?! Then, we will now begin the teleportation magic!”
“Ooh!”
The waiting mages, after confirming that the students had entered, quickly began to activate the circle. As soon as the preparations were confirmed, thirty mages, positioned evenly around the circle, channeled magic into it. The effect was immediate. The floor began to glow, and magic overflowed. It gradually drew into a vortex and enveloped the students. In a matter of seconds, the teleportation was ready.
“Teleport!”
At the mage commander’s call, an even brighter light was emitted, and for a moment, the room was bathed in light before the students disappeared from the spot.
“Success! Alright, we’re heading to the Knight Commander!”
“Ooh!”
After confirming that the teleportation was successful and no one was left behind, they headed towards the place where the Knight Commander was fighting. One of them didn’t even notice that he was rubbing the circle at his feet.
One word for today:
Share information accurately.
This is all for now. The story has become longer than expected, so it will be divided.
Thank you for your continued support of this work.
