"Where is Nora, really?"
It had been more than an hour since Yuna and all her friends had been waiting in the classroom. During the first ten to twenty minutes, all the students were still busy joking around. After thirty minutes passed, one or two began to grumble, and now, after over an hour, everyone had run out of patience.
"Is this really humanity’s finest magic academy?" Sasa said while floating a pen between her fingers. She was getting used to her gloves and could already use -Telekinesis- without breaking the mana flow to them.
"Maybe it's just our teacher that's the problem," Winda muttered, burying her face in her arms.
"I'll go look for her." Before the situation got any worse, Aaron took action.
After leaving the classroom, the first place Aaron went was Nora’s room. He knocked several times, but there was no response. Next, he headed to the infirmary. He was looking for Emili.
"Finally, someone comes to visit this place. I know some of you can use healing magic, but being here alone is really boring. Are you sick or injured?" Emili said as Aaron opened the door.
"No. I'm here looking for Nora. She was supposed to be in class over an hour ago."
"About that, she's not in Finalia right now. So, there’s no class. Didn't she tell you?"
Did Nora leave without telling us? Aaron thought, glancing at Emili.
"You’re bored here alone, aren’t you, Emili? Come with me for a bit." Aaron invited Emili to the classroom. She agreed and followed him.
"I can only use healing magic. So, I probably can't give you any magic training. Don't expect me to replace Nora," Emili said as they walked.
"There’s no class today. Nora has business outside Finalia," Aaron announced once they arrived.
"What’s that supposed to mean? Why didn’t she tell us before?" Jaka asked.
"She should’ve at least informed us first," Winda added.
"Where did she go, and how long will she be gone?" Aaron asked Emili.
"She’ll be gone for seven days. Last night, Nora told me that while she’s away, you’re free to train however you want. Or, if you don’t have anything planned, you can take quests at the guild for practice and also…" Emili paused, remembering something. Last night, Nora had instructed her to tell the students what they needed to do. Emili glanced at Aaron, who only smiled. She now realized he had brought her here on purpose—to take the blame.
"Then why didn’t you tell us?" Sasa asked. A killing aura began to radiate from her body.
"I-it’s… I’m sorry. I forgot." Emili said, lowering her head.
"We’ll deal with that later. For now, did Nora leave us any assignments?" Aaron asked. He figured it was unlikely that Nora would leave them with nothing—and he was right.
"Ah, right. She said you need to register at the guild. Once you're used to your gloves, you can start taking quests. You can also earn money that way. Choose quests that match your magic type."
"Is that all?" Aaron asked again.
"There are also special assignments for certain students. For Winda and Garham, before Nora returns, each of you must defeat at least one Griffin. Their nests are on the west side of the forest.
"For Jaka, pick a single Red Lotus and plant it in the front pond. The Red Lotus grows in the eastern lake. No one is allowed to help him in any way.
"For Sasa, your task is to harvest honey from the Stone Bees. Their nest is in the northern forest. You are not allowed to wear protective clothing. It might be a bit painful, so Nora wants you to go with me.
"For the rest, Nora hasn’t found a suitable assignment yet. Instead, you must each choose three quests from the guild and complete them before she returns. That’s her message."
All eyes turned to Emili. "So you forgot our assignments too?" Sasa asked again, her killing aura growing even stronger.
"I’m sorry. It’s my fault."
"There's still something we don’t know. Where is the guild?" Aaron asked.
"In the city of Mantira, of course."
"I mean, which direction is Mantira? We were brought here by -Teleportation-, and all we’ve seen around us is forest."
"Oh, that. Mantira is to the south. You can reach it in about twenty minutes if you run."
"Anyone else have questions for Emili?" Aaron asked his friends. He also glanced at Sasa. Her murderous aura was getting out of hand. Though Aaron didn’t think she would actually kill anyone, it was still worrisome. She seemed to be in a really bad mood.
"Are you busy today, Emili?" Aaron asked.
"If not, come with us to the guild. It’s better than being cooped up alone in the infirmary," he added.
Emili studied Aaron. He was wearing the exact same smile as when he invited her to the classroom. She had a feeling she was about to get dragged into something again.
"Alright." Even so, Emili still agreed to Aaron's request.
Emili and the nine Class D students headed toward the city of Mantira. There was no road—or even a trail—between Class D and the city. All they passed through was dense forest. Trees grew close together, and the grass was tall.
"One day we need to build a road to Mantira. If things stay like this, we’ll never be able to bring a carriage to the dorm," Aaron said. He was mostly talking to himself, but his friends listened seriously.
"There used to be a road here. But after being abandoned for so long, the trees have taken it back," Emili explained.
Rian and Winda observed their surroundings. Seeing the height of the trees and the condition of the ground, there were no signs of any road left. This place must’ve been abandoned for decades—maybe even centuries.
"Isn’t this place a little too quiet?" Rian asked.
"What do you mean?" Emili stopped and turned to him. The other students also halted.
"There are no monsters or dangerous animals. Not even around our building. Last night, Yuna and I camped behind the hill. We didn’t see any wild beasts at all. For a place abandoned for hundreds of years, it’s too quiet."
"You two camped together?" Sasa and Winda asked in unison.
"You reckless youngsters," Emili said, shaking her head. Rian and Yuna ignored the three of them.
"About that—before you all came here, Nora had already cleared out the entire area. Within two kilometers of the dorm, there shouldn’t be any wild animals. For now, we’re safe," Emili added.
"For now?"
"Of course. After a few months, the monsters and wild animals will forget Nora and start reclaiming their territory."
At least we’re safe for a few months, Aaron thought.
Half an hour later, they arrived in Mantira. Although still considered busy, the city was quieter than it had been during the Finalia Magic Academy entrance exam. People still walked the streets, and there were still vendors along the roadside. But there was no traffic congestion.
The guild building they were headed to stood at the center of the city, right beside Mantira’s city park. The place was bustling with adventurers. Most of them wore light armor or mage robes.
"Can we help you with something?" the receptionist asked.