Eclipse put the herb he was looking up for in his sack with a sigh.
The remains of the corrupted slime seeped into the forest floor, leaving behind its destruction.
Trees that had been tainted with its acidic ooze began to wilt, the air thick with an acrid, foul stench.
The only positive in the aftermath was the silence—a calm in the clearing now that the threat had finally passed.
Eclipse wiped sweat from his brow, still breathing heavily as the effects of the potion continued to wear off.
His limbs felt like lead, and a creeping ache had taken hold of his muscles. Guess dark mana isn't exactly… gentle, he thought.
He took a shaky breath as if to fight back a wave of dizziness.
Beside him, Silva and Valeria stood side-by-side, exchanging cautious, measuring glances.
Finally, both turned to Eclipse, their deadpan expressions almost identical.
"Why is she here?" they asked in unison, their voices dripping with mutual suspicion.
I guess this is their first meeting… kind of? It seemed like they already hated each other.
Eclipse barely managed a tired wave in their direction. "Silva," he muttered, pointing to the maid. Then, pointing to Valeria, "And… Valeria."
Ten minutes ago…
Silva followed the track of destruction.
'A monster this big… I wonder if Eclipse is still alive.'
She hoped not.
Eclipse had to die by her own hand, that was the agreement she made.
And now, in this chaotic place, was the best time to do it.
If she could find the guy, that was.
And after she did…
It would take the Academy a while to find Eclipse's body, and by then Silva would already be gone, hiding.
They would probably record his death as the work of a monster.
But the guy she was paid to kill wasn't exactly what she thought in mind.
The big dark slime splashed on the ground, defeated.
Eclipse was inside of a trunk, heaving heavily.
A girl ran to him with her weakened legs.
Silva clicked her tongue, eyes sharp. She has been watching the whole fight, the speed and strength Eclipse did, had made her jaw numbed.
Eclipse Warbringer… I should've known he was hiding his true strength. I guess I was skeptical before, finding out a Warbringer to be weaker than a fifteen years old mage. So it was all a front.
But now that he is weak, maybe… Silva knew, if she goes for him at this time while he's still recovering, she'd win.
Probably.
She wasn't sure.
And she hated doing something she's worried about.
That girl… doesn't seem like a student from the Academy? Though I feel like I've seen that hair before, Silva thought, and her magic casting ability wasn't too bad.
It'd probably be best–to lie low for now.
So she came out of the shadows to greet Eclipse.
Now…
The two of the girls continued to eye each other for a long, tense moment before looking away with a huff.
So it's you after all, Silva thought.
If you're here then, Valeria thought, glancing at Eclipse.
But he didn't realize the two were communicating with signals, he was tired.
And then there was that too.
A red screen.
Warning: You are fatigued. Eight minutes before your consciousness shuts down.
Thank you, but I think I'd know if I am fainting.
He was on the verge of fainting. But he can't do that now, not until they reach back to the Academy.
Silva moved to Eclipse's side, her eyebrows knit in concern as she examined him. "Master, are you feeling unwell?"
He winced, struggling to keep his composure. "Just… a bit."
Silva nodded, as if processing this calmly. "I see."
Valeria tilted her head, scrutinizing him as well. "Are you going to be alive?"
"Very encouraging," Eclipse grumbled, looking around the clearing.
They stood amidst charred trees and crushed undergrowth, the remains of the fight littered around them.
"Looks like… an eldritch disaster site," Silva remarked dryly, wrinkling her nose as she looked at the slime's remains sizzling on the ground.
Silva leaned in close, her voice laced with a hint of remorse. "I apologize, Master, for not being at your side when the creature attacked. But I must admit… I'm surprised. You defeated it on your own."
Valeria raised an eyebrow, crossing her arms. "Hold on—if you weren't here, then how do you even know he defeated it? Don't tell me you were just hiding and watching!"
"I was not hiding," Silva replied coolly, casting Valeria a sharp glance. "As a capable maid, I trust my Master's skill enough to know he would handle it even if I didn't see what happened exactly."
"Yeah well I did help too…"
"And what are you doing here? Stealing?"
"Stealing?" Valeria sputtered, her face reddening. Her voice panicked as if afraid Eclipse would suspect her, "I'm no thief! I'm just… a strange girl who happened to be in the forest! Eclipse can vouch for me, right? Right, Eclipse?"
Both of them looked at Eclipse who had not heard their bickering.
Eclipse, head throbbing, glance blankly between them.
With a final glance around, the dark clouds that had gathered overhead during the battle had dispersed, revealing a massive purple light pentagram stretched across the sky.
It was the teleportation spell.
Caelum and his party defeated the demon–their first boss.
Funnily enough, he did too.
"We can go back now," he announced, glancing at the herbs he'd managed to collect.
He reached into his pack, running his fingers over the precious leaves and stems.
The three herbs he'd fought so hard for were intact.
If he brought all these three back to the academy to show, he'd get a perfect score and high reward that he can use.
Silva caught sight of the items in his pack and raised an eyebrow. "Master, you've found all of them... that's impressive."
Then she looked at Valeria with a hidden smirk.
Eclipse recalled something crucial.
In the game, this forest was filled with more than herbs—rumors spoke of ancient treasures, hidden relics of past ages, and rare weapons.
Instead of the three herbs, you can try to find the weapons.
The Academy's rules, however, restricted students to bringing back only three items. And only items with notable mana signatures could be detected and counted.
He turned to Silva, "I wouldn't have to leave one of the herbs behind to get you back in the Academy, right?"
Silva nodded, "Not to worry, Master Eclipse. I'm registered as a limited-student. The Academy won't count me as you 'cargo.'"
He had to make sure.
Though, the limited part does mean she can't bring back any items herself.
"Ouh…" Eclipse muttered, glancing at Valeria, who seemed lost in thought.
She suddenly looked up, a faint furrow on her brow. "Wait a minute. I'm… not an Academy student," she pointed out. "Doesn't that mean I'm not getting automatically teleported?"
Was she expecting if she stayed in the forest, the Academy would bring her back?
"Yes," Eclipse said bluntly, without even sparing her a glance. "Back to wherever you came from, or wherever it is you're supposed to go."
Valeria's mouth dropped open, her eyes wide. "What? They never told me anything about that!"
Silva, now with a relieved face, stepped forward, offering Eclipse a graceful bow. "Master, it seems you're fine. If that's the case, I'll go ahead. I'll have the bath drawn and refreshments ready for you upon your return."
That sounds nice… He thought as his eyes got heavier.
Valeria shouted, "Wa, wait, I have something to say!"
"Don't need to, go back to the underground with your sisters," Silva said, "Master?"
Eclipse distracted yet nodded, dismissing her. "Yeah."
Silva looked up at him, a glint of calculation flickering in her eyes, before she straightened and said the headmistress's name.
Her form was surrounded by a brilliant purple light.
Then, in a flash, she was gone.
Eclipse steadied himself, prepared to say the headmistress's name to initiate his own teleportation.
But before he could speak, Valeria's hand shot out, covering his mouth, her grip firm.
"Eclipse wait!"
His dignity drilled his flesh from insides.