By Zephyria 
The third Sunday of February.
Over the past few weeks, we had been releasing Monsters every Sunday to observe and then kill them. In the first week, we faced Goblins, and in the second week, Trolls. And today’s opponents were several Minotaurs.
It was almost embarrassing to group Trolls and Minotaurs together as the same medium-sized Monster, as they were vastly different.
Trolls tend to roam alone and are usually about 3m tall. They were short enough that a sword could reach their neck if they jumped high. Even a top-tier Sword Expert could handle one on their own.
However, Minotaurs travel in packs, and instead of having regeneration abilities, they have thick skin, so swords would often break unless Aura was used. And each individual was about 7m tall.
They were Monsters with cow-like upper bodies, huge muscular arms, and strangely short, reverse-jointed beast legs compared to their bodies. Their entire bodies were covered in shaggy, brown fur, and two short, triangular horns protruded from their heads. They wielded hooves like clubs, without fingers or toes.
Some of the children, who had never seen such huge Monsters up close, were speechless. Even knowing they could be defeated, it was natural to be intimidated by their immense size. When I first saw an Ogre, didn’t I also reconsider the strangeness of this land and become greatly alarmed?
Each group was tasked with killing one more Minotaur than the number of people in their group.
But I couldn’t participate.
My skills were far above the children’s, preventing them from getting proper opportunities. So, I sat next to Sansone at a distance and watched the children.
It was the very Martial arts training ground where I had once faced an Ogre alone. Thanks to the defensive and perception-inhibiting magic surrounding the 5m-high platform, we could see the heads of the beasts protruding above the barrier.
Benjamin, Rubel, and Marianne were the first to step forward.
Benjamin and Rubel had learned various Sword Arts, but they were most proficient in Imperial Swordsmanship. Naturally, they stood with longswords in their right hands and thick shields in their left.
As the two swordsmen stood side by side in front, Marianne stood behind them at a distance, gripping her staff tightly with both hands.
It didn’t take long for the four Minotaurs, who were still disoriented from being summoned, to spot the children.
“Moo-.”
“Moo-.”
A sound similar to a cow’s moo, but lower and more bizarre, filled the Martial arts training ground. As the Minotaurs, their eyes as big as bowls, darted around as if exchanging opinions, they began to scratch the stone floor with their hind legs.
Marianne, having completed her incantation, raised both hands high and shouted.
“Ra – Kolonda Feel Flam!”
And the moment she slammed her hands down, a pillar of fire fell in a straight line from the distant sky. Crimson flames engulfed the Minotaur standing at the very front, from its head to its waist. Even with the Monster writhing in agony before them, the children were not afraid.
A single squad of Sierren’s Special Imperial royal guard consisted of at least four members and always included one or more Wizards. A typical tactic was to use the strongest magic the Wizard could cast before the battle began to incapacitate the opponent.
The three Minotaurs, excluding the one that had just been hit, charged at the children simultaneously.
The children fought remarkably well.
Benjamin nimbly escaped the grasp of the Minotaurs and leaped high. He deeply slashed the neck of the Minotaur that was rolling around, engulfed in flames.
Cutting deeply vertically, rather than horizontally, could sever the breath without hitting bone. Sword energy did not materialize, but it was a sword infused with Aura like mist. The Monster, its neck severed, tilted its huge, heavy body to one side, sending vibrations throughout the stone floor.
Monsters are creatures that are incredibly adept at recognizing the weakest opponent.
The remaining three all charged at Marianne, who appeared to be the most vulnerable. Before the two Monsters’ huge hands could crush Marianne, she vanished with a Blink, escaping between the Minotaurs’ thick legs.
As another one raised its leg to trample Marianne, Benjamin left a long, deep gash on the back of the Monster, which was as big as a building. Waiting for the Monster’s gaze to turn to Benjamin, Rubel slashed at its hamstring, preventing it from moving significantly.
The children exchanged glances, signaling each other.
To target such a huge and heavy opponent, they couldn’t stay in one place for long. They had to move quickly and target the blind spots behind and beneath them. Benjamin and Marianne focused on the Minotaur with the hamstring injury, moving and attacking in a hit-and-run fashion, protecting each other.
Sweat formed in my palms.
Benjamin was also the one who severed the second Monster’s neck. While Benjamin and Marianne were completely focused on one, Rubel nimbly moved, drawing the attention of the other two.
Now there were two Minotaurs left. Suddenly, they stopped walking and howled loudly.
“Wo- Moo- Wo-.”
“Wo- Moo- Wo-.”
The loud reverberation that shook the Martial arts training ground evoked an instinctive fear.
This must be what they called ‘Monster Fear’. The act of excessively large creatures simultaneously emitting tremendously loud noises to terrify small prey did not work on the children, who were already fully armed with theory.
However, it seemed to be effective in displaying their power to each other.
One of the Minotaurs placed its thick hands on the ground. Kneeling on all fours, its hard forehead and sharp horns became even more prominent. One blocked Rubel’s retreat, and the other charged at Rubel.
Each time Rubel panicked and tried to escape, a pair of thick legs and a pair of arms blocked the child’s path.
Benjamin and Marianne attacked desperately, but even while bleeding profusely, the beast’s red, bloodshot eyes did not leave Rubel. My gaze was the same. I saw everything, from the sweat dripping from Rubel’s forehead to his cheeks, to the clear drops falling down his fair neck.
Then, Rubel, running out of stamina, stumbled.
I stood up abruptly. I tried to jump in with my sword, but Sansone grabbed my arm, stopping me. I wanted to shake him off immediately and tried a couple of times, but my master’s level was so high that I couldn’t easily escape.
In the meantime, Rubel rolled across the floor several times to avoid the attack. The Monster’s mouth gaped open. It rolled to bisect Rubel. Then, Rubel briefly looked at the Monster’s face, pulled the sword he was holding behind his shoulder, and then, with a whoosh, shot it like an arrow.
It was the throwing knife technique performed with a longsword.
The sound of the sword lodging in the Minotaur’s eyeball was chilling. The beast thrashed, trying to pull out what was stuck in its eye with its front paws, but it couldn’t completely remove the embedded sword with its fingerless hooves.
Rubel seized the opportunity and barely managed to escape.
Lightning struck the spine of the thrashing Minotaur.
Marianne hadn’t been using magic properly for a while; it seemed she had been taking time to cast a large spell. Rubel had lost his sword and could no longer show off his martial arts skills. After hesitating, he ran far away to the outskirts of the Martial arts training ground.
Only then did I catch my breath.
Even if my stomach were cut open and salt were sprinkled on it, it wouldn’t sting and hurt as much as this. I must have tried to shake Sansone off so strongly that when Sansone released my arm, my forearm was bruised blue. My whole body was tingling. I calmed my startled heart and sat down.
The children, who had completely cut off the last Monster’s breath and were panting, were soon brought before my eyes.
All three were a mess from head to toe. Seeing their appearance covered in Monster fluids and dust, I was at a loss for words.
Perhaps because I had only ever seen them neatly groomed, Rubel’s appearance seemed endlessly unfamiliar.
“Excellent… The way you enhanced the power by mixing Fire Pillar with Wind Storm was especially… Marianne, you can now cast complex magic within 3 minutes… And the way you quickly cast Restoration Magic in between to replenish your stamina… It was amazing…”
“Benjamin’s jumping ability has also improved greatly. Now that he can jump 3m at once without a running start, it will be a definite advantage when facing medium to large Monsters. Rubel also showed that he followed the stamina training quite well. It was good.”
The children, who had excellently completed the given task, were greatly encouraged by the Professors’ praise and smiled brightly. The Professors also did not miss pointing out the areas that needed improvement.
“However… Using Mana without restraint… It may be advantageous when facing a set number of Monsters like this, but it is forbidden in real combat… It’s a very dangerous action, so I hope you will refrain from it…”
“And also, abandoning your weapon. You just abandoned your life and abandoned your comrade, Rubel. A knight who has lost his sword can no longer do anything. Make sure to bring plenty of Flying Daggers that you can use in case something happens.”
These were the necessary pieces of advice.
A while passed with the children, covered in Monster fluids, chattering about their glory, and Angela Sting and Maelo Sanson explaining with smiling faces. Afterward, Angela Sting used Clean Magic on the children, and also used Restoration Magic on the scrapes left on their bodies.
I was dazed the whole time. The valuable advice went in one ear and out the other.
Rubel, who had been cleaned up with Clean Magic, brushed his disheveled hair back with his hand and tied it up again, then came to me like a puppy wanting praise, wagging his tail. I couldn’t bring myself to smile. I gently patted the hand that was extended to me and sat the child next to me.
The other two groups also succeeded in defeating the Minotaurs in a decent way, similarly. I was troubled the whole time, and it was very difficult to manage my expression.
And so, it was dinner time.
I asked Marianne and Benjamin for their understanding and took Rubel out separately.
Rubel had lowered his voice as if he was watching my mood, but he was eager to show off his achievements. During the meal, he talked about how well he had taken my teachings to heart, and how much the footwork I had taught him had helped him escape.
As soon as the meal was over, I sat the child close to me.
And I said.
“…I know it’s late to say this now, Rubel.”
“Yes.”
“Do you really have to go with me?”
I finally brought out the words that had been welling up in my throat since the Martial arts training ground. Even though I tried to choose my words carefully and speak kindly, I couldn’t suppress the agonizing feeling, and my voice was hoarse.
The child blinked at me three or four times.
I said again to the child, who seemed unable to believe what he had heard.
“I was wrong to think that. I want Rubel to stay in the capital.”