My Glasses Will Be Able to Conquer the Whole World, I Suppose

Chapter 205 – Glasses Boy Begins Training

As I stepped outside the tower, I noticed red smoke rising from various points deep within the forest.

It appeared they had already been ignited before the instructors gathered on the first floor for their briefing.

Hmm… the sight of red smoke rising from the forest gives off a fire vibe and isn’t particularly pleasant to watch.

But with it being so conspicuous, they’ll surely locate them soon enough.

…Still, isn’t there an unusual amount of smoke coming from the depths?

I haven’t yet observed the situation deep in the forest, but it’s quite dense. Moreover, beyond that lies the path where the Holly Wandering Bull walks—apparently that gigantic cow has been walking a specific route for hundreds of years, according to records. It’s mysterious, but more incomprehensible than anything else.

Anyway, given its depth, there might be monsters lurking within.

Yesterday, I didn’t encounter any, but I found traces of large creatures. I’m certain there are monsters lurking about.

I arrived at the Tower of Bryne yesterday, and the very next day, it’s already training.

I’m still lacking information… Entering the depths of the forest in this condition doesn’t seem wise.

But I have no choice but to do it.

Furthermore, precisely because it’s currently an “unfamiliar and strange forest,” there might be some meaning in doing it.

Once I get used to it, it’ll become a familiar environment.

Both emotions and alertness naturally shift after the first entry. They might want to do this before that change happens.

But well, maybe I’m overthinking.

“Hey, Zero Points! Are you good at cooking or what!?”

A surly-looking boy approaches. Hmm, he must be Hariatan.

“You’re gonna lose anyway and end up on kitchen duty. Why don’t you start preparing tonight’s meal now!?”

Tonight’s meal, huh.

—Yesterday’s caught Oro peasants have been bled, gutted, seasoned with herbs for flavor and preservation, and tied up.

If you let them sit for a while, the meat becomes tender, and the subtle aroma transforms into a distinctive flavor.

They should be ready to eat by now.

…Okay, if I lose, I’ll share it with everyone as kitchen duty.

There are more than ten people here, so they’ll finish it in one meal, but that’s fine.

If I win, I’ll cook it outdoors and savor it all by myself.

I’m eager to try out the herb-infused salt I picked up at the hunting festival, so it’ll be a solitary bird barbecue for me! Being a hunter has its perks—you can easily indulge in experiments like this.

“…Tch! Ignoring me, huh!”

Huh? Oh, uh, yeah.

“Haha, no chance against you.”

“What’s with the sudden tough guy act!? …Oh, you weren’t actually ignoring me, were you!?”

“—Oh, Instructor Evanesque is glaring at you.”

“Huh?”

As the surly boy’s attention drifts away,

“Hmm…?”

“Don’t worry about him.”

Quickly, I hide behind the shadow of the nearby bulky man, Belge.

“—And now, let’s kick off today’s training! Get moving!”

After briefly explaining the training once again, training started at the command of Instructor Yorgo.

All at once, everyone rushed into the forest.

I just watched them go, as usual.

…I see.

“—Aren’t you guys going?”

Even though the command was given, I didn’t move and was looking at the forest when Instructor Yorgo called out… “Huh? Aren’t you guys…”?

That’s when I spotted Shuren, the black-haired Easterner, he was looking at the forest just like me.

…

Shuren glanced at me and the instructor with sharp eyes, lightly nodded to the instructor, and then ran into the forest.

Impressive… just as Hydra mentioned, he truly is fast. He vanished into the forest in the blink of an eye, his presence quickly faded into the distance.

“Well then, it’s my turn.”

With that, I disappeared into the forest—

“Oh, Eil.”

…

I didn’t expect her to speak to me at this timing. It was Instructor Sorichika.

As my stepping foot halted and I turned around, Instructor Sorichika was looking at me with vacant eyes, smiling.

“I don’t like you, but today, I feel like having venison. While you’re at it, catch some for me.”

…

It’s quite astonishing that she’d bring that up now. Even the other instructors seem taken aback. Their expressions suggest they’re on the verge of asking, “What’s she saying now?” I might not be showing it on my face, but I’m definitely surprised enough.

I’m about to start training.

Strictly speaking, I’m already in the middle of training.

And she is piling on more tasks during the session.

“Ah… Have you been eating lately?”

Instructor Sorichika isn’t the type to eat much.

Back when we were in Haidiga, and when we moved to the assassin village, we used to eat together often, so I know her eating habits. But what about now?

Not taking in nutrition makes you prone to health issues.

As her former disciple, I’m still concerned.

To be honest, it’s difficult for me to comprehend how someone could manage without eating, especially since I’m always craving meat. That might be why I’m even more worried.

“I’ve been eating a bit. I feel like having venison today.”

Ah, I see.

“I’ll take care of it.”

Although I can’t guarantee anything.

But if it’s a request from my former master, I’ll try to do as much as possible.

If I come across any, I’ll make an effort to target them while on the lookout for the signal flares.

With that in mind, I entered the forest, trailing behind the others.

As I climbed trees and leaped from branch to branch, I pondered.

—Shuren, huh.

He must have had the same thought as I did.

There are ten signal flares and fourteen participants.

Thinking logically, if ten pass the training, that leaves four unaccounted for.

Needless to say, it’s a race against the clock.

The real question is, what’s the best approach?

Should I just dash straight ahead, aiming for the shortest path to grab it?

That’s probably the strategy most will adopt.

If I were to label them, I’d dub them the Speedsters. The cat-kin and other swift beings would likely fit into this group.

But what about the signal flares left unattended?

For example, aiming for a flare that no one else is targeting.  Or intentionally aiming for the farthest flare.

Even when contemplating these alternatives, I still come to the same conclusion.

And I believe Shuren had the same idea as me.

If someone were to discover or secure a flare while other candidates are nearby, wouldn’t they attempt to intercept and claim it for themselves?

It was said that obtaining the signal flares was up to us.

Given that, it wouldn’t be unexpected if someone entertained the notion of “taking” them.

There’s the potential for confrontations upon discovery, upon acquisition, during the return journey, and even ambushes near the tower.

The risk of being “intercepted” is evident in all these situations.

Neither searching nor claiming can be definitively categorized as the “quickest” approach.

The fact that all the candidates are here already proves their strength.

If even one of them becomes an enemy, it’ll be quite troublesome.

Particularly if that individual happens to be Hydra, Lisse, Eorazel, or Chace.

Dealing with them is difficult, if not downright impossible, not just in combat, but even in escaping.

They excel not in just one ability but in overall prowess. Well, except for Chace, who specializes in speed.

Naturally, this is based on my current understanding There might be other challenging individuals as well.

For instance, the cat-kin likely has high athletic abilities.

The ideal scenario would be to quietly obtain the flare without anyone noticing and stealthily make my way back to the tower.

Whether they’ll allow that is another issue altogether.

Thus, I made the deliberate decision to let them proceed ahead, observe their actions, and then venture in a direction opposite to theirs.

Shuren seems to have had the same idea judging from the direction he headed.

If things progress as planned, it should be possible to secure it without drawing any attention.

The problem lies in what happens after securing it…

…

Alright, well, I’ve come up with a plan.

Let’s give it a try.