Date: One Month After Term Start – Evening After First Field Operation
Location: Academy Grounds, Western Garden
We left the walls for the first time today.
No drills. No illusions. No teachers standing behind us.
Just the trees. The wind. And the weight of knowing we could die.
David briefed us at dawn.
He didn't speak dramatically — just held up identical silver necklaces, each with a smooth obsidian gem at its core.
> "If you're close to death, this will activate. It'll teleport you to me. Use it… only if you must."
He didn't say "I'll save you."
He said "It'll bring you to me."
That alone told us enough.
---
Three teams. Three targets.
All facing the same opponent: Hollow Bear. Rank E magic beast.
Massive. Fast. Covered in mana-soaked fur that reflects spells and dulls blades. Strong enough to crush a tree.
But… not smart.
That would be its downfall.
---
Team One was all nobles — spell specialists.
Confident. Loud. Terribly synchronized.
The only one holding them together… was Alice.
She didn't argue when they proposed the plan — just observed. And when things started falling apart mid-battle, she stepped forward.
She redirected spells, rewrote two formation sigils mid-cast, and even saved one of her teammates from a fatal claw strike using a teleport rune — one that shouldn't have been possible with the casting delay.
Three of them still activated their necklaces.
The others landed the final blow — but only because Alice kept them alive long enough to do it.
They returned to camp battered and silent.
One noble muttered about "a broken formation" and "faulty scrolls."
But Alice… said nothing.
She just walked ahead of them.
Dignified. Unbothered. Untouched.
I caught her gaze for a moment across the field.
She didn't smile, but… her eyes flicked to the Hollow Bear behind us, and then back to me.
A quiet recognition.
Maybe even… respect.
---
Team Two was Yukari's group. Balanced. Calm.
From what I overheard, their coordination wasn't perfect — but Yukari carried them.
> She healed a collapsed vanguard, rewove a torn barrier mid-combat, and even restrained the Hollow Bear's movements using a summoned wind wisp.
She didn't boast. She just bowed when it ended.
They came back tired but intact. The Hollow Bear lay still behind them, its mana core sealed in a reinforced jar.
David nodded once. That alone was high praise.
---
Then it was our turn.
Me, Leander, Anna, Riya, Gideon, Elric… and finally, Lily.
We walked in without speaking much.
Our plan was clear before we even reached the forest.
---
The Hollow Bear waited in a clearing, claws dragging the dirt, sensing the tremble of mana. It roared — enough to shake leaves from the trees.
But it didn't realize we were already surrounding it.
Riya triggered the first blast. A decoy spell — light and fire.
Leander drew its attention next, flashing in and out of reach.
It lunged for him — right into Gideon's shield wall.
Anna's illusions danced in the air, warping distance, confusing the beast.
It swiped at air, stumbled — and then Elric cast his chant.
Chains of sanctuary, pulsing with divine light.
Then Lily and I struck from behind.
She broke its defenses with Moonlight Pierce, a spell she'd only recently perfected.
I activated a kinetic seal trap I placed hours earlier. It shattered its stance.
Before it could rise — a final coordinated blow.
No one was injured. No necklace activated.
The beast fell. Not because of overwhelming power.
Because we out-thought it.
We didn't win with strength.
We won because we fought as one mind.
---
Evening came fast.
After dinner, I wandered to the edge of the courtyard.
The moon was just rising when I heard her boots.
Mireille. Swordmistress. Former adventurer.
She didn't wear her academy robes — just a light coat and her travel-worn cloak.
> "Saw your fight," she said, leaning beside me.
"No wasted movement. No loud heroics. You strangled the bear with its own instincts. Smart."
I didn't say anything. Just nodded.
Then she smiled — warm and familiar.
There's something in her grin. It's not the mocking kind. It's… human. Maybe even motherly.
> "You remind me of David," she said quietly.
"Back when he still had rough edges and didn't drink three cups of tea a day."
> "That a compliment?"
> "The highest kind," she replied. "He doesn't say it, but… he's watching you. Closely."
She stretched, cracked her neck, and added:
> "Don't let the title of 'Silent Tactician' come too fast, alright? Earn it slowly. One step at a time."
Then she left — like a breeze passing through.
---
I returned to the dorm.
My team was already there.
Leander was snoring on the couch. Anna and Riya were drawing our battle on paper.
Lily sat near the window, sketching runes in a notebook.
She looked up.
> "You were late."
> "Had to talk to a ghost."
> "Was it friendly?"
> "Surprisingly."
We didn't say much else.
But in that silence… something settled.
---
End of Entry
– Nitsuo