Player-Hunting Inquisitors

Chapter 10

In the meantime, I was busy devising a plan to uncover the Player's identity.

After finalizing the plan, the day of the field practice arrived without even a moment to catch my breath.

"Hello, Professor Kian. Or should I call you Saint?"

"No, here I'm just a professor, so please feel free to address me as such."

"Oh my, how polite. Is this the kind of etiquette one must have to become a Saint at your age?"

While passing time conversing appropriately with the other professors, an elderly professor walked to the front of the students.

He seemed to be the overall supervisor of this field practice.

The professor, standing on the podium in front of the students, began his speech energetically.

"Cadets! Today is the academy's famous Field Practice Day! You will be divided into pre-arranged groups to hunt monsters. I hope you learn a lot. Now, head to the forest!"

Fortunately, contrary to appearances, he was a straightforward person.

Such a brief speech—it might be the shortest I've ever heard at the academy.

'Unfortunately, he'll have to take responsibility for the incident that will occur this time.'

I moved to signal Natasha.

I needed Natasha's help for this plan.

Fortunately, Natasha contacted me three days before the field practice, and I was able to easily procure the necessary items.

As the field practice began, the professors dispersed to their assigned areas.

Once enough distance was created from others, Natasha informed me that she had completed the preparations.

"Preparations are done. The items you requested are buried in front of the cave."

"Thank you. I'll see you again tonight."

Natasha disappeared again, and I returned to my original task.

During field practice, professors scatter in all directions to observe the students' movements.

The more skilled a professor is in combat, the larger the area they oversee to ensure students' safety.

The first step of my plan was to ensure that only one group, containing the suspect, entered my area.

'It would be troublesome if other groups wandered into my area unnecessarily.'

To achieve this, Natasha had entered the forest in advance and blocked all paths except one.

For a Dark Elf like her, manipulating the forest without leaving a trace was as easy as pie.

Of course, Yuria knew which path remained open and would naturally guide her group along that route.

Natasha and I hid and monitored how Yuria's group moved.

As planned, when Yuria's group entered my designated area, Natasha sealed off the only remaining path, cutting off access for other groups.

We completed the first stage of the plan.

"Once they fall asleep, we'll begin."

"Who will lure the monster?"

The second step of the plan was to lure the monster we had found last time.

Since it was already a discovered monster, its appearance at the campsite wouldn't arouse much suspicion.

"I'll do it. Natasha, please monitor them."

"Got it. Be careful out there."

As the sun set and the students finished preparing their campsite, I quietly set out for my destination.

My destination was the cave where the Forest Worm lived, which I had discovered earlier.

According to the academy's research on the monster, it detests water and will chase anyone who sprays it until they die.

Using this trait, the plan was to lure the monster to the students.

'The academy's lack of safety awareness is always astonishing. Running things so sloppily... If someone with malicious intent became a professor or student, truly terrible things could happen.'

Of course, the academy would never knowingly hire such a person as a professor.

'Looks like I'll be the first.'

The cave, my destination, came into view.

The Forest Big Worm was a dangerous creature resembling a giant worm that lived in the forest, tearing its prey apart with sharp teeth.

'Well then, shall we begin?'

Bang—. When I threw the water bomb provided by the Cult into the cave, it immediately reacted.

Waking up from a deep sleep would already be infuriating, but being hit with water must have made it even angrier.

Just as expected, it emerged from the cave, visibly enraged.

Throwing water bombs while making noise, I revealed my location.

"Follow me, monster!"

Hearing my provocation, the monster completely lost its reason in fury.

At that level of anger, it would chase me even beyond its territory.

Watching the monster obediently follow me, I smirked inwardly.

'Alright. Player, can you resist this opportunity?'

The Forest Big Worm was a level of monster that graduating academy students could easily defeat.

It wouldn't pose a significant problem for Riel or Yuria.

However, they would intentionally conserve their strength.

To make the Player reveal their hidden power and feel compelled to help them.

**

Cornell thought he was lucky.

He, who used to work part-time every day to pay his tuition, was now in a position to summon servants with a mere gesture.

'I must thank the Goddess.'

Unlike the original owner of this body, a scoundrel, he was well aware of how blessed his environment was.

Thus, he lived diligently every day.

At first, everyone in the mansion looked at him with suspicion, but after a few months, they welcomed his change.

This reached its peak when he decided to attend the academy.

Deeply impressed by the academy's existence, Cornell studied as hard as he had when preparing for college entrance exams and was admitted to the academy.

"Father, I've been accepted into the academy."

"Cornell! You've finally come to your senses!"

His parents shed tears of joy upon hearing this.

'To think they're so happy for me. I can't betray this trust.'

Even after arriving at the academy, he didn't let his guard down.

He simply studied hard, determined to repay his parents.

'Field practice. A good opportunity to satisfy my parents.'

When the groups for the field practice were assigned, he felt grateful for his luck.

His group included two famous individuals: Riel Scarlet, a genius sought after by all the Magic Towers.

And Yuria Tenia, the representative of his faction and a beautiful woman skilled in Swordsmanship.

When he was invited to the tea party hosted by Yuria, greed began to grow in his heart.

'To be in the same group as such beautiful people—how amazing would it be if I could get close to one of them?'

His mind was filled with sweet fantasies.

The image of two beautiful women admiring him, the heroic scene of him saving them in danger... He wore a blissful expression as if dreaming.

Lost in those sweet fantasies, he failed to recognize the gap between them and reality.

'I'll reveal my hidden skills during the field practice. Then, won't they see me as a man?'

Secretly opening his Status Window, he pondered where to invest his saved-up status points, indulging in his imagination.

Immersed in his fantasies, he didn't notice the gazes fixed on him.

The two Apostles didn't miss him muttering to himself and tapping his fingers into the air.

"Yuria, you noticed, right?"

"Of course."

As the sun set, Cornell's group began preparing their campsite.

Relieved of the first day's tension, they set up only simple Alarm Magic before falling into a deep sleep.

Most of them, being nobles unaccustomed to sleeping on rough ground, found the exhaustion from fighting monsters all day turned the ground into a soft bed.

While most students fell asleep, Cornell couldn't.

'Damn it, I didn't even get a chance to approach Riel or Yuria. And this useless Viola girl is too scared to even speak properly.'

Before coming to this other world, he was a student preparing for exams. After possessing Cornell's body, he spent a long time restraining himself to prepare for academy admission.

'Now it's my turn to be rewarded. I can't miss this opportunity. During this field practice, I'll make sure to leave an impression on them. If I can do that... My life will completely change!'

Cornell clenched his fist in secret.

At that moment, the ground shook, and the presence of something massive woke the students.

"Everyone, wake up! It's an emergency!"

"Wake up!"

Riel and Yuria shouted to wake the students and had them gather their equipment.

Rubbing their eyes, the hastily awakened students were met with the sight of a massive monster.

The monster had the shape of a giant worm, but it was far larger than any ordinary worm.

Its thickness was greater than an adult man's thigh, and its length appeared to exceed at least a dozen paces.

In stark contrast to its grotesquely wriggling body, its open mouth revealed sharp teeth densely packed inside.

The jagged teeth, resembling saw blades, were enough to instill fear in anyone who saw them.

"Ahhh!"

"Get a grip!"

A few students, too flustered, screamed and provoked the monster.

In response, the monster lunged at them with its massive maw.

"Hah!"

"Lady Riel!"

However, the monster failed to achieve its goal.

Flames that bloomed from Riel's fingertips drew a large circle, blocking the monster's attack.

"Everyone! Now's the time! Those in the vanguard, assist Riel, and the rest of you support with magic to protect your comrades!"

At Yuria's sharp command, the students regained their composure and began forming a formation to confront the monster as they had trained.

As the formation was being established, Cornell secretly opened his Status Window and pondered.

'This situation... It's exactly the one I dreamed of! Alright then... I'll invest points in stamina and Swordsmanship and cut that thing's head off!'

Having invested all his saved-up status points, Cornell stood beside Riel, facing the monster head-on, and began attacking it.

"Thanks! I'll retreat and prepare my magic!"

'Perfect! With this, Riel will have a good impression of me! Women are naturally drawn to men who save them!'

Meanwhile, Yuria, instead of participating in the fight, was commanding the students as the team leader.

Riel, who had retreated, stood beside Yuria.

"I'm back! How is it?"

"It's fine. It's a somewhat tricky monster, but at this rate, we should be able to subdue it without issue."

Confirming that no one was around to eavesdrop, Riel brought up the main topic.

"What about the others?"

"They've changed. A lot since earlier today."

Riel, erasing her expression, briefly observed Cornell and then agreed with Yuria's words.

"I think you're right. Should I inform Kian?"

As Riel prepared to relay her observations to Kian as planned, Yuria waved her hand to stop her.

"They'll be watching anyway. They'll probably reach the same conclusion as us. I'll take care of that monster now."

Yuria drew her sword to finish off the now-useless monster.

"I'll handle it from here. Everyone, be careful not to get crushed by the falling monster."

Yuria, who had drawn her sword, pushed the vanguard students back.

The monster attempted to strike Yuria, who had quickly approached it, with its long tail.

Slash-!

However, the tail failed to achieve its purpose and merely struck the ground in vain.

As the monster sensed the vibrations in its surroundings, trying to identify its next target, overwhelming pain engulfed its head.

"As expected, it can't sense anything above it."

Yuria, who had leapt to avoid the tail, stepped on the air and flew straight toward the monster's head.

Yuria struck the monster's head with her sword.

The monster, belatedly thrashing to shake off Yuria, only caused the embedded sword to inflict deeper wounds.

The monster twisted its massive body, letting out a pained groan.

However, its struggle was merely its last resistance, and its desperate efforts posed no threat to Yuria.

After a few more convulsions, the monster finally collapsed, and Yuria lightly landed on the ground, her mission accomplished.

"Everyone, you've worked hard. This is our victory."

As Yuria declared their victory, the campsite erupted with cheers of triumph.