EPISODE 71

How could a group be chosen like this? Where were the objective indicators and fair grouping?

As I stood there, stunned, a voice broke through the tense atmosphere—someone clearly oblivious to the mood.

The girl, small as a squirrel, shouted with misplaced confidence, "Haha! You guys are lucky. You're in the same group as me, Mir Giant. Don't worry. I'll lead you from now on."

Charles, far more dissatisfied with the grouping than I was, yelled, "No way!"

Her face was almost pale. "I-I am in this group? Where the hell are the objective indicators and fair grouping?!"

That was exactly what I had been thinking.

"Hey, whirlwind woman, that's a bit harsh," Mir remarked.

"Harsh? It's your mind that's harsh!" Charles snapped back.

"What did you say?"

"You said we can rest assured, but isn't that just a misplaced sense of despair? This group is doomed!" Charles said.

She clearly couldn't maintain civility once agitated.

Still, in moments like this, an immutable truth often emerged—when one person lost control, the other tended to stabilize.

Thus, as Charles completely lost it, I found myself settling down. Looking over my teammates again with a clearer mind, I came to the absurd conclusion that the group's balance wasn't terrible. The only one who could really be called "exceptional" here was Charles.

While my points were near the top, I hadn't shown exceptional performance in most classes. In fact, the instructors' evaluations of me were likely quite low.

Evan's points weren't terrible, but his internal rating might be even worse than mine. Juan, who held significant influence among the instructors, didn't think highly of him. As for Mir Giant, there wasn't much to say.

"C-calm down," Evan said.

"I am calm now! Hah. I can't accept this! I'm going to file a complaint!"

With that, Charles stormed off toward Juan and returned exactly one minute later, covered in what looked like white ash.

"What did he say?" I asked.

"It is ruined... I'm screwed..." Charles muttered, her voice hollow.

"I see," I replied, nodding.

Evan cleared his throat to regain our attention. "First of all, we know each other's faces and names, but shall we do a quick reintroduction? My name is Evan Helvin."

"I am Luan Badniker."

"I am Mir Giant, a descendant of the great Ymir, the Frost Giant!" Mir declared proudly.

"Oh ho..." I murmured, looking impressed.

Mir's face lit up with pride, though I was more surprised she even knew the word "descendant." Still, I decided not to voice that thought.

Our attention turned to the last member of our group, Charles, who remained silent and visibly shaken.

"Well, since Lady Rubieta seems a bit out of sorts, let's move on. Anyway, let's do our best as teammates from now on," Evan said, though his tone felt perfunctory.

I nodded, having nothing else to add.

Mir, however, looked at me with slight discomfort.

"So, Blond Badniker, we've met before, haven't we?" she said, her expression suggesting she still remembered the incident during the special trial—when I had tied her up with a rope and knocked her out cold.

Ah, really.

I hadn't expected gratitude, but her reaction was a bit much.

As I pondered how to respond, Juan's voice echoed. "Okay, that concludes the grouping. Please gather together again."

At his command, the hero disciples gathered in front of the platform once more.

I glanced at Charon first. His group consisted of three people: Zeros from the wealthy Silver family, and Shinba, who would later be known as the Hero of the Beastfolk. They appeared to be Charon's closest confidants.

"Just those three, huh?" I muttered.

This stench of favoritism was already overwhelming, but I recalled something Fourth Senior Brother used to say. "Even the most astonishing coincidence can happen twice, so be suspicious, but don't jump to conclusions. And if it happens three times? Well, three times is when you can be certain."

Thus, I decided to hold off on jumping to conclusions for now.

"As a celebration of the formation of the groups, there will be a short trial tomorrow morning," Juan announced.

"What?" the hero disciples murmured in surprise.

One of them asked, "Didn't you say that there is no schedule on the weekend?"

"Of course. You're free to participate in this trial—or not," Juan replied with a smile. "If you don't want to, you can return to the accommodation building and rest. However, those who don't participate will be penalized in terms of points."

The hero disciples stared blankly, like newcomers to society experiencing their first scam.

Juan's words were a clever play on semantics. Could they really go back to their rooms and rest? Was there anyone who would do that?

These hero disciples were carefully selected elites with high self-esteem, each convinced of their superiority. They would never pass up the chance to earn points.

As such, Juan's suggestion was less an option and more a veiled threat.

"Is this perhaps a special trial?" someone asked.

"That's right. You are sharp," Juan remarked.

In the last special trial, the top five had scored a significant number of points. Charon, who took first place, had reaped enormous benefits, which he used to solidify his current position. If he won first place again, the gap would become insurmountable. Perhaps the others realized this as well because not a single hero disciple left.

I don't think anyone's absent. The hero disciples' enterprising attitude is very nice to see, I thought.

"It's fine. There are no deductions for this special trial. You just have to venture into the forest and bring back anything you find."

The hero disciples blinked at the sudden announcement.

"You mean, anything?" someone asked.

"Yes. Anything," Juan emphasized. "It doesn't matter what it is—whether it's a rock, a weed, or something else. The instructors will assign points accordingly, though the value will vary greatly depending on what you bring."

In other words, we needed to find something rare.

"Additionally, for this trial, you'll be able to use your group's combined points to purchase items. A list of available goods will be provided later today."

"Combined points? What's that?" another hero disciple asked.

"Exactly what it sounds like—the total points of all team members combined," Juan explained, still smiling. "The details will be explained tomorrow before the trial begins. For now, enjoy your day off. Oh, and make sure to decide on a group leader before the item list is distributed. Only the group leader can authorize the use of combined points."

With that, Juan left, his tone dripping with sarcasm.

The hero disciples dispersed, some leaving while others huddled in their groups to discuss strategies. Only our team remained.

By then, Charles had finally regained her composure. She let out an exasperated sigh, as though expelling all her pent-up frustration. "What's done is done. If I can shine in this hopeless group, my stock might rise. Maybe it's not all bad."

Was she talking to herself?

In any case, Charles looked at us and said, "I am Charles Rubieta. Can you start by sharing your points?"

"Why do you need to know?" Mir asked.

Charles shot her a disdainful look. "We need to know so we can decide what to buy once the item list comes out."

"T-that's right..." Mir stammered. "I have thirteen points."

Then Evan and I followed suit.

"Nineteen points."

"Eighteen points."

"Hmm... not as bad as I thought," Charles muttered. "Except for the giant."

Mir bristled at the jab, but before another argument could erupt, I asked, "How many points do you have?"

"Twenty points," Charles replied.

"So, that's seventy points total," I calculated.

"Indeed. I'll take the group leader's role. Any objections?" Charles declared.

Look at her. She is trying to snake her way into the leader position.

"Of course I have objections!" Mir exploded. "I'm far more suited to be the leader than you!"

"That is a joke that isn't even funny. Do you want to drag us into the gutter?" Charles shot back.

"What did you say?!" Mir barked.

Charles exhaled deeply. "Then it can't be helped. We'll have to ask the rest of the group."

Mir turned to Evan and me. "Hah! Do so! You two! Who do you think is the best person to be the group leader?"

We were caught in the crossfire of their heated glares.

Evan looked uncomfortable, so I spoke up first. "Me."

"What?"

"I think I'm the most suitable," I said plainly.

If I had to choose between the two, Charles was the lesser evil, but honestly, I was far more capable than either of these kids.

"Don't make me laugh!" Charles snapped.

"Do you want to die, Blond Badniker?!" Mir growled.

I sighed, shaking my head at their predictable reactions. This time, I turned to Evan. "Then it's up to you to decide. Evan, which of the three of us do you think would be the best fit as the group leader?"

Evan gave me a puzzled look, hesitated for a moment, and then pointed at me.

"This is ridiculous!" Charles screamed in frustration.

And so, the leader of Group One was decided.

***

The usually bustling lounge was eerily quiet today. It wasn't that there were fewer people—the number remained the same as usual—but instead of clustering into their familiar groups, they were scattered like isolated islands. Naturally, the dividing line was their teams.

"This feels... off," Evan muttered.

"What does?" I asked.

"It's like the people who were my friends just a moment ago are now my enemies," he said, his tone tinged with bitterness.

I corrected him without hesitation, "They're not enemies—they're competitors. We may call ourselves heroes for convenience, but few among us truly have noble goals. Even after we become official heroes, this kind of rivalry will be common."

Of course, I didn't know much about heroes. Still, I had observed how the Great Masters trained aspiring heroes, and it was clear that we should be as wary of our allies as our enemies.

"You sometimes sound like the instructors," Evan remarked, his expression odd.

"Is that so?"

"Yes."

"Well, I guess I've learned well from them," I said with a shrug.

Evan chuckled. "Maybe."

"Enough chit-chat. Gather around. We need to look at the item list," Charles interjected, her tone still carrying a hint of resentment at not being chosen as leader.

For now, though, she seemed to have accepted it—likely due to the "Badniker" title attached to my name. People like her, steeped in authoritarianism, tended to bow to greater authority.

I unfolded the sheet of paper I'd received from the instructor and spread it on the table.

500 mL of water – 1 point

A bag of beef jerky – 1 point

Dagger – 3 points

Rope – 3 points

Net – 3 points

Hunting trap – 5 points

Bandage – 7 points

Lamp – 10 points

Sleeping bag – 5 points

Tent – 10 points

Potion – 30 points

...

The list was longer than I had expected. Moreover, the items seemed to share a common theme.

It dawned on me what the purpose of this special trial was. If the first trial, the dawn monster raid, had tested our survival skills, then the second trial was undoubtedly about hunting. If that were the case, we had seventy points to spend. How could we use them most efficiently?