Chapter 62

Chapter 62

Fort Polrwin (1)

Fort Polrwin had a structure fairly similar to Innocence Academy.

Not only Polrwin, but most cities near demon lands that had become fortresses had this kind of feel.

They maintained an independent position belonging to no nation, and under the name of the “Allied Forces,” people of various nationalities and races gathered there.

All of this had happened after the war with the demons ten years ago.

Soldiers made up the largest population, but because it had not been a fortress created solely for military purposes from the very beginning, there were also some civilians who could not abandon their hometown.

It was difficult to say that it was managed as well as the academy.

Though they had hurriedly gathered strength to stand against the demons, each nation had different interests, so the gears often creaked.

The things that would happen during this field trip had this background too.

Soon, the students passed through the gate hung with flags from various nations and entered Fort Polrwin.

In terms of grounds alone, the academy, which included forests and various terrains, was much larger, but as a city, the scale was similar.

“It’s gloomier than I expected...”

While walking down the street, Lucia, whose gaze had reached an alley, muttered softly.

The alley was lined with shops that looked like an entertainment district at a glance.

At this, Crank did not miss her mutter and answered.

“Because there are a lot of soldiers, I suppose?”

“Soldiers?”

Lucia asked back, still not understanding even after hearing Crank’s answer.

Yuri, who had been listening to their conversation, seemed to decide to resolve Lucia’s curiosity and opened her mouth.

“Since the laws inside the fort are looser than in each nation... wouldn’t they need lots of brothels and taverns in a cold place like this to relieve stress?”

“B-b-brothels...”

At last, Lucia shrank back and began looking around.

Just as Yuri said, because forts had no choice but to pursue multiculturalism, laws were indeed applied loosely. However, regarding military law, they were very strict.

Inside the fort, one could also occasionally encounter races other than humans.

Beastfolk, elves, dwarves, and so on.

In the end, Innocence Academy was an academy for humans, so these were different races that were difficult to see inside the academy.

Among them, beastfolk entered my eyes the most.

Beastfolk resembled humans, but were characterized by animal ears.

Soon, the students entered a large building located in the very center of the fort.

After moving while following the instructors, a spacious hall appeared.

“Wow.”

“I was already hungry.”

“So that’s why there was no breakfast.”

Once we entered the hall, several long tables had been lined up, and all sorts of foods were spread across them.

“I sincerely welcome the students of Innocence Academy to Polrwin!”

The attention of the students gathered at the thunderous shout that followed.

The shout of a man wearing a red cloak, who had risen from the seat of honor at the end of the hall, continued.

“I am Polrwin’s commander, Mikhail Aigus. You have all worked hard coming such a long way to the North. Let us start with a meal. I hope the food of the North suits your taste. Sit comfortably and eat. Instructors, this way.”

Mikhail’s guidance ended like that, and soon the hall grew lively as the banquet began.

“...Commander Mikhail is from the Empire, right?”

In the middle of eating, Yuri asked Amon that.

Amon, who was from the Empire, should know the answer.

To begin with, Polrwin was Imperial territory, and even now, it was the Empire that held strong influence inside Polrwin.

“Yes. I met him a few times while following my father.”

“The commander seems very close to the instructors.”

Listening to Crank’s words following Amon’s answer, I glanced toward where Mikhail was.

Mikhail was having an intimate conversation with the instructors, especially the three of Black Blood.

They had a close relationship.

Because during the war, it had been Mikhail who commanded and led Kaliman and Reina.

Well, Edward himself had belonged to a different unit, so they had no great connection... but in any case, Mikhail cherished Black Blood quite a bit.

Perhaps the reason we could come on a field trip to Fort Polrwin, which should be considered a military facility, was because they had deep ties with Mikhail, the fort’s commander.

[ Mikhail, is it. In my memory, he was famous as one who handled a spear well. This is the first time I am seeing his face in person. ]

Sierra’s voice rang in my head as she stared at Mikhail.

Perhaps because she had no interest unless one was a swordsman, it seemed she did not know much about Mikhail.

After that, all sorts of conversations came and went over the table.

They were mainly evaluations of the food and stories about the North.

Even amid all that, Eisel did not say much. She had long since stopped staring intently at me.

“What does Eisel do in the North again?”

In the game, Eisel had not appeared when the lich was defeated.

Even though, as a regressor, she should know the lich would appear.

“Does she have something else to do?”

In any case, her way of acting was simple, if one wanted to call it simple.

She would be working so her regression would not repeat, so she would no longer die.

It seemed arranged so that the player could shine, but it was not that I could not understand her actions either.

As time passed and the banquet was drawing to an end, Mikhail, who had been talking with the instructors, rose from his seat.

“I hope the meal was enjoyable.”

After beginning with those words, Mikhail slowly explained how the field trip in Polrwin would proceed.

To summarize simply, the purpose was largely to foster the students’ adaptability.

The students would be assigned to teams with different roles and experience the lives of soldiers in Polrwin.

Recruits who were well-regarded within their units would stay with the students, teach them about Polrwin, and tell them what they had to do.

Mikhail added that since most of the recruits were around the same age as the students, they would be able to get along quickly.

Lastly, he ended the explanation with a bit of promotion, saying that if life here suited them, they should consider applying to the Allied Forces after graduation.

After Mikhail’s explanation, which contained a slight bit of propaganda, ended, he snapped his fingers.

Soon, several soldiers entered the hall and handed large sheets of paper to each table.

The one who received the paper near me was Crank.

“It lists the assigned groups. Everyone can check for themselves.”

Crank said this and placed the paper on the table.

“Where am I?”

“Zeto is...”

At my question, Yuri read down the paper.

“Huh...? This is strange...?”

Yuri, having found my name on the paper, spoke in a questioning voice.

“What is it?”

“Well...”

Yuri could not easily answer and dragged out her words.

***

What had to be done in the North was comparatively simple.

The lich, who could be considered the second main boss, was currently dead.

However, there was someone who would resurrect that lich, which should be frozen solid.

A Demon God worshiper who had infiltrated Polrwin.

He belonged to a sort of cult that called itself the “Apostles,” but he was not a true Apostle.

A real “Apostle” of the Demon God was in a different league from people like this.

The incident began like this.

During the field trip, there would come a day when the Three of Black Blood and the commander left the fort together.

I did not know what it was about, but in any case, the problem was that they left their posts.

On that day, the man resurrected the lich inside the lump of ice.

In the game, it had been impossible, but now that it had become reality, it would also be possible to kill the one who would resurrect the lich in advance and prevent the resurrection from happening.

However, if I did that, there would be less experience.

Because the lich would not come back to life.

Moreover, the man should be considered part of the Allied Forces “for now,” so there was a high chance it would be difficult to kill him quietly.

I could not suddenly cause a murder at the timing when academy students had come for a field trip.

So, as planned, I would leave him alone so he could resurrect the lich.

There were two ways to face the lich...

Go to the mountain where the lich was and kill it in advance at the moment it resurrected.

Wait until the lich descended the mountain and reached Polrwin, then fight it together with the students.

Naturally, I intended to choose the former.

Compared to the former, the latter raised reputation by a very small amount, but experience was lower, and the rewards one could collect decreased.

To put it simply, it was a difference in difficulty.

It felt like there were separate beginner and expert difficulties.

Because I had the “Necklace Containing the Hero’s Protection,” the undead lich did not feel very frightening.

“Let the lich be resurrected, and the moment the resurrection begins, kill the Demon God worshiper.”

I was walking down the street while reviewing my plan for the North.

When I was in the hall, I did not quite feel it, but once I stepped outside, I realized again that this place was the North.

The banquet in the hall had ended, and the students were now moving to the groups they had each been assigned to.

Groups were random in the game too.

No matter what group one was assigned to, it should not have much to do with the story.

There would be plenty of time to deal with the lich.

Eisel and Yuri were assigned to Patrol Team 2.

I was in the same group as Kaen.

“Student Zeto, is this really all right? I wonder if there might have been some mistake...”

While following Kaen, at last, she turned back to look at me and carefully said that.

“Haha, who knows... Should I go to another group even now? I was happy to be placed in the same group as you, Miss Kaen.”

“I-is that really something to be so happy about?!”

At my teasing words mixed with laughter, Kaen stammered and blushed.

As she worried, it was hard to say the group I had been assigned to suited me well.

I simply wanted to go there.

Not long after, Kaen and I arrived at our destination.

Approaching a house that looked shabby at a glance, Kaen tilted her head and opened her mouth.

“Is this the place...?”

Immediately, Kaen read aloud the sign hanging beside the door.

“Night Patrol Team 1.”

Night Patrol Team 1.

It was the group Kaen and I had been assigned to.

—Knock, knock.

After reading the sign and becoming certain, Kaen knocked on the door.

Then someone’s voice from behind the door gave permission to enter, saying, “Come in.”

Opening the door, Kaen and I entered the room.

At that, shock colored the faces of those inside.

There was one beastfolk woman with animal ears and two men in the room.

Among them, one man holding a sheet of paper opened his mouth with a bewildered expression.

“Uh... you are Student Zeto and Student Kaen, right...? This place is a patrol team, so... patrol... needs to be done...”

Every one of them could not take their eyes off the bandage around my eyes.

It was understandable that they would be flustered by a blind man who could not see being placed in a patrol team.

Nevertheless, I did not want to change groups.

I was lucky.

Because the “Demon God worshiper” bastard who would resurrect the lich was in this group.

One could say I had come to patrol him.

I looked at them, wore a smile, and opened my mouth.

“I am confident in patrol work.”

At my confident voice ringing quietly through the room, they, and even Kaen, began looking at me as if they were looking at some lunatic.