Mesugaki Tank Enters The Academy

Chapter 435

The forces near the forest I was facing were dark magicians researching sacrificial rituals.

These dark magicians, whose practice inevitably draws backlash that they aim to transfer onto their sacrifices, were closer to the Evil God’s forces than anyone else.

Among them, there were also followers of various Evil Gods.

Therefore, it was not easy to figure out which Evil God had infiltrated this forest.

If you exclude the flames that were sealed or the darkness that had collapsed into a crouching state, anyone else could be a potential candidate.

However, based on the ominous energy surrounding this forest, I could only guess that it was likely a follower of the Void.

As I stood before the forest, I donned the armor I had obtained from the Teresha Empire and lightly stretched my body.

Thanks to the training I had undertaken during the vacation period, I moved in the armor with no awkwardness at all.

Once I confirmed that everything was in place, I raised my mace and shield and stood at the front.

"I think it's better for either me or the knight over there to lead the way," I suggested.

Murro, who didn’t know me well, seemed worried, but I responded to his concern with a chuckle.

"Are you trusting the dog’s sense of smell? It's a convincing story, but I don’t like it. Following a mindless mutt like that would probably get me trapped in some pit."

"Lady Lucy is exceptional in this area. There’s no one more trustworthy than her," Adrig added.

"...Hmm. If you say so, Rina, I guess that’s true."

I was surprised not by Murro’s doubt but by the polite persuasion from the foolish fox.

This crazy pervert can actually do this?

Is that even possible?

A pervert who sneaks to sit at my bed’s foot every morning just to get stepped on, and now, he’s this polite!

Whether she knew it or not, the foolish fox, with a shy smile, lowered her head and stepped back, moving with quick strides.

If you didn’t know who was in there, you’d think she looked like a lady.

No! Why does she act like this around others, but then acts so badly toward me! If she behaved like this normally, it wouldn't be so bad!

...Actually, no. That would be even worse.

A girl who pretends to be polite on the outside but secretly hisses and begs for me to step on her? That's terrifying.

I’d rather have an honest pervert.

"Lady, it looks like everyone is ready."

Hearing Kal's voice, I snapped out of my thoughts and looked around at everyone present.

The wolf with the sharpest fangs, Murro.

The cunning fox, Rina.

Kal, the knight of the Alrn family.

Adrig, the necromancer, and her companion Vishy.

The apostle of the Art Guild, Frete. And me, the apostle of the Evil God.

If you exclude Vishy and me, everyone else here could easily be at the top of their respective factions or already were, and their reliability was remarkable.

No matter what happens in this forest, we shouldn’t have trouble with force. As long as I handle the treacherous plans inside, we’ll be fine.

"Follow me, you weaklings."

The moment I stepped into the forest, a chilling energy surrounded us.

<They’ve noticed us.>

‘It’s exactly as I expected.’

We were all beings of great presence. Expecting them to remain unaware was too greedy.

So, I chose to not hide our presence.

If they’re ready to confront us, let them try.

If they can stop us, let them struggle.

I’ll figure out what they’ve prepared by watching their movements.

"Old woman, stop hiding in the back and do something. Your lackey is useless, so you might as well work, huh?"

• Please wait a moment.

As Adrig spread her influence, the souls of the animals rose from the ground.

The traces of those who once lived in this forest but had died.

Having lost their reason, they began to spread across the entire forest, following Adrig's command.

"Working with necromancers isn’t a pleasant task," Murro muttered.

The spirits of the animals, freed from their rest, seemed to annoy Murro, whose growl sounded threatening enough to frighten anyone. But Adrig remained calm in the face of his frustration.

• They’re not being forced to move. They answered the call for help. I’m not strong enough to send the necromancer’s energy so far across the forest.

"I didn’t know that. My apologies."

• No, it's true that I disturbed the rest of the dead. It’s not unusual for you to be upset.

Adrig, with the understanding of her position as a necromancer, bowed her head respectfully, which seemed fitting for her mature demeanor.

Her appearance, though outwardly girlish, made it hard not to feel sorry for her when she acted so humbly.

Especially when dealing with a good-hearted Murro, her humility shone through even more.

• Lady Alrn, we have a problem.

"What? Are the weak animals refusing again? Did you end up alone again?"

• ...It’s not that. There’s something strange about this forest.

After I heard that the smaller animals were being sent to scout the area but were encountering repeated paths, I became certain that the forces occupying the forest were followers of the Void.

The real path was hidden, and if one tried to take any other path, they’d find themselves looping back to where they started—that’s a trick the followers of the Void use.

"Good job, old woman. Stop sending those trembling animals. They must be getting exhausted under you."

When facing the followers of the Void, further reconnaissance was meaningless.

What annoyed them most was capturing spies hidden among our ranks.

Now that we were openly enemies, what did their powers mean?

I chuckled quietly as I summoned divine energy and recalled the map of the forest.

For now, let’s head toward where the forest’s owner is. We’ll find some clue if we get to the center of the forest.

Honestly, Murro didn’t trust Lucy Alrn much.

It didn’t matter that he’d heard many bad rumors about her.

Murro wasn’t someone who formed opinions based on what others said.

It didn’t matter that when they first met, the scene had involved the apostle of the Art Guild and Rina crawling on the ground.

The drop in evaluation was a result of Rina and the apostle’s behavior alone.

Rather, the way Lucy Alrn had controlled the two of them, though a bit disturbing, was something that should’ve raised her rating.

Even so, the reason Murro doubted Lucy Alrn was because of her overwhelming confidence.

It was clear that Lucy Alrn was much more skilled than someone her age.

The result of the training inside her small body.

The divine power she possessed was far beyond any priest.

Her accomplishments up to this point were all outstanding.

There was no denying it.

But not all great things always have positive effects.

Someone who never knows how to fall will fall faster and from higher up than others when the time comes.

Having been unable to stand alone amid the faith of others, Murro had stepped back. But he still held his worries close.

That’s why he kept his guard up. To be ready for any problems that might arise.

However, Murro’s worries never became reality.

Throughout our journey in the forest, Lucy Alrn made no mistakes.

"Ugh. Pathetic. Are these trash thinking at all? At this rate, they might as well beg to be found."

She instantly noticed the hidden path masked by the Evil God’s power.

"Those worshiping insignificant things have empty heads. What good is hiding traps? Their power is this weak."

She found the traps and swiftly neutralized them.

"Why are they so weak? ? At this rate, the shield won’t even have a scratch ? Are you trying to be considerate of me? ? Too cute to attack me? ? Hahaha~ So sweet~? I’ll kick you as a reward?"

Even against the dark magicians, she showed overwhelming skill.

She used her divine power to nullify their curses.

She deflected their prepared magic with her shield.

She drew their attention and then retreated, leaving the final blow to others.

Murro saw that Lucy Alrn’s abilities were not something a child of her age should possess.

She was experienced.

She didn’t rely on her youthful recklessness but handled everything like a seasoned mercenary, considering all aspects and responding to the enemy’s movements. She continually told our team what needed to be done, and everything she suggested was more optimal than anything Murro himself could think of.

After several hours of this, Murro naturally came to respect Lucy.

Her confidence wasn’t youthful arrogance; it was the certainty of someone who knew her abilities.

From then on, Murro worked as actively as Kal or Frete, following Lucy’s orders without hesitation.

He accepted that she was the leader of this party and strengthened her command with his trust.

This experience, new to Murro who had always been a leader, felt fresh and not so bad at all.

As Murro’s trust in Lucy Alrn solidified, our group arrived at the center of the forest.

There, we found the entrance to the dungeon that led underground.

"...Is this really the end?" Lucy Alrn said, her expression showing clear disappointment.