Free Web NovelChapter 72: A Coward
"My dear Novus, do you know what a person who refuses to help those who are in need even when they are capable of helping?"
While staring at the young child, her son, attentively listening to her every word, this beautiful lady couldn’t help but giggle to herself as the child reveals a thinking expression, an expression that prompts her to wave to her beloved husband as if she wants him to watch this moment as well.
"Is it selfish, mother?" staring up and meeting the gaze of both his parents, the young Novus answered, making them smile in approval as they saw intelligence, or rather, wiseness in that innocent gaze of his.
"They are selfish, indeed, my child, but there’s a more appropriate thing to call them as... and that is coward." the mother pointed out with a doting smile on her face, the child merely nodding to her words despite not understanding too much as to why she is talking about something like that.
"Remember what your father always told you about mages, son?" seeing the curious look on his son’s eyes, Novus’ father joined the conversation as well, reminding him of something that he keeps on reminding the child nearly every day of his life.
"Mages are brave." The child answered.
"Mhm~ mages are beings who bend the law of nature itself, so they need to be brave, that means cowards—" pausing as she wants her child to finish the words by himself, the mother, along with the father, intently waiting for him. ƒгeeweɓn૦vel.com
"—doesn’t deserve to be a mage."
"That’s right, child, but that’s just one part, helping others is good, but actively seeking people to help is nothing but a foolish task, so bear that in mind too, my dear..."
"Never hesitate to help people when they encounter difficulties around you, but never go out of your way to help, my boy, that’s one of the creeds that our family lives by." the father pointed out with a guiding smile on his face, his words invoking a surprising reply from the young boy.
"Being an Argenta is hard, mother, father."
Hearing his words, the husband and wife couldn’t help but look at each other with surprise, yet nevertheless loving eyes, the two of them falling into giggles and laughter as they felt just more and more entertained watching this child of theirs grow.
"You’ll learn it in time, my son."
"You’ll eventually get there, my boy."
Those words lingered on the boy’s mind, once again surfacing now as he rushes forward, intending to at least check whether he can answer to that desperate call for help.
A pair of swift afterimages leaps from branch to branch, approaching a desperate, panicked, and repeating screaming from the distance, each step bringing this pair closer to the source of that panicked, desperate cry for help.
’Sensory Expansion.’
As he finally reached the source of the sound, one of the people moving at such a fast speed immediately unfolded one of the weapons from his arsenal, his senses covering the entire area and allowing him to detect all the minuscule details there are for everyone to see, hear, smell, taste, or feel.
"There’s a lot." Pausing for a while, watching on top of a tree branch, he remarks as he feels the presence of his companion landing on the branch he is standing on as well, this one, a lady wearing a wave-patterned robe above the same kind of uniform as his, nodding in acknowledgement at his remarks.
"Can you tell exactly how many and how strong, Junior Novus?" looking down on the group of students encircled by the group of monsters’ ambush, Medea asked as her fingers played around with the hilt of her blade, gently tapping it ever so frequently as fighting intent, along with bloodlust, began accumulating inside of her.
"Twenty, sixteen high E Tier Silver Direwolves, three low D Tier Silver Direwolves and one Ironhide Bear, around D Tier too but stronger than the direwolves. The stronger ones aren’t part of the encirclement, they’re waiting farther behind."
As he finally took in everything he could pick up with his senses, Novus stated, even going as far as pointing out the location of the stronger ones, pointing their direction to the lady beside her.
"Impressive." meanwhile, hearing the assessment of her teammate, Medea couldn’t help but marvel at this ability of his once more, a faint smile appearing on her face as she grew even more curious as to how much he could do with such an ability.
’Not to mention, is it a part of his Unique Magic as well? What sort of absurd Unique Magic is that then?’ she wonders to herself before she clears her throat, already having a brief plan to go with.
"Can you buy me time and handle two D Tier Silver Direwolves?" still tapping the sheathed blade with her dainty fingers, she asked in all seriousness, her gaze, usually containing even just a little hint of playful mischievousness, not showing any right at this moment, showing how much she wants a truthful answer from him. freewebnovёl.ƈom
"I can, relax yourself a little bit, Senior Medea." seeing the tension on her face, along with the continuous tapping on the hilt of her blade, he reveals an assuring smile as he starts stretching his body, that smile, along with the gentle voice as he answers her question, calms her nerves a little and makes her smile too.
’This dull guy... Fufu~~ he’s right sometimes~~’ hearing his calming words, she thought to herself before nodding to him as she leaves with one last note for this teammate of hers.
"Then I’ll leave them to you, don’t get disqualified, Junior Novus~~" she said, that light of playfulness returning on her eyes once more as she leaps down from the tree branch, dashing towards the location of the most serious threat he pointed her to, leaving him all on his lonesome to deal with the remaining threats.
After taking a deep breath, his figure disappears as well.
Meanwhile, on the facilitating side of the exam, the staff, both professors and assistants alike, bow down and breathe hard, air barely entering their panicking lungs as the immense weight of pressure bears down on their bodies, as if they are being crushed by a massive mountain pressing down right above them.
"B-but that’s just not possible?"
"How? There’s definitely no monster or beast strong enough to lead an organized group like this!!"
Both professors and assistants mutter to themselves as they continue enduring the pressure bearing down on themselves, the instincts of a veteran mage pointing them to the fact that this is anything but normal at all.
"What the hell did you say is happening?" with the cold calmness barely keeping herself from letting wrath take over her body, the Vice Headmaster, who is overseeing this exam, Runia, asked, all while she clenched her fists to the point that her nails began digging through her skin and her own flesh.
"T-t-th— m-multiple organized monster groups are attacking a group of students, Vice Headmasters..." feeling her wrath intensifying the pressure oozing out of her being even more, one professor said with clear panic and confusion in their voice, a clear sign that even they themselves didn’t foresee such a dangerous event happening.
"Then move the field staff immediately!! Begin culling the powerful monster groups and leave the weaker ones for our students to deal with!" despite the urgency in her voice, the logic in her words still clearly shows that above all else, she is a professor and a Vice Headmaster dedicated to the growth of the students, worry and trust to the young ones being revealed at the same time with such order from hers.
"Y-Yes, Vice Headmaster!!" the operating staff began working at their utmost, contacting and directing the field staff to make sure that the exam returns to its proper track.
