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

Chapter 206 – Glasses Boy Successfully Completes His First Training.

A considerable amount of time had passed since they ventured into the forest.

With fewer traces of human presence scattered throughout the forest, it was likely that many had already returned to the tower.

“Oh, it’s Zero.”

“Hey, that’s not… You shouldn’t say such rude things. …Um, what?”

While wandering through the forest in search of a deer, he stumbled upon some fellow candidates.

Let me think… Marion and, if I remember correctly, it was Geodine, isn’t it? A gender-neutral girl and a timid-looking boy.

“Zero, are you searching for the signal fire as well?”

Despite her friend’s apology, Marion continued to address him as Zero and inquired if he was still searching for it. The two nodded in agreement.

Well, that makes sense.

If they had found it, they would have returned to the tower by now, so there would be no reason for them to still be wandering around here.

But I do have a favor to fulfill, so I can’t avoid it.

A considerable amount of time has passed  since the training began.

The sun is also starting to set, so it will be getting dark soon.

As a hunter, it appears to be the appropriate moment to conclude.

Even in a familiar forest, night may be dangerous, but wandering through an unfamiliar forest at night is undeniably too risky.

“Hmm… Even if we look up at the sky, the red smoke isn’t rising anymore.”

Marion is correct. The smoke is no longer visible.

In other words, it appears that all the signal fires have been collected.

“Shouldn’t we just admit defeat and head back?”

“Huh? Aren’t you heading back yet, Zero?”

It seems that in her mind, “Zero” has already become my nickname.

Well, I guess it’s better than being called by my name. I don’t particularly mind.

“Instructor Sorichika instructed me to hunt a deer, so I ventured deep into the forest to search for it.”

“Huh? Hunt a deer? During training?”

It appears as though I’m being perceived as abandoning the training to hunt for deer.

“Well, the training is pretty much finished by now.”

“…Hmm, now that you mention it.”

Marion seemed frustrated by my reply, but given the current circumstances—where defeat seems unavoidable—it didn’t seem all that unusual.

Perhaps she thought I’m too carefree.

But even I, well, I do think it’s a bit odd to go hunting during training.

But since I was asked, there’s no helping it.

“Marion, let’s head back. See you later, Eil.”

“Ugh, another week of cooking duty…”

And just like that, they departed. They really don’t waste any time, those two. …Come to think of it, I wonder if Zett has already returned?

While utilizing “Body Heat Vision” and eventually catching sight of what appeared to be a red silhouette of a deer while proceeding stealthily, I crossed paths with another candidate.

“Hey, Meat Man.”

“…?

Please don’t call me Meat Man.

I sensed someone’s presence, and I thought about just greeting them and moving on, seeing Florentine nearby prompted me to approach.

Next to Florentine is a tall, slender figure, hunched over, with long, unkempt hair in a shade of brown close to black, partially hiding her face, which also has a pale, ghostly complexion, giving off an eerie vibe.

Well, she’s been seen around the tower since this morning, so she’s not a spiritual entity. She’s a flesh-and-blood individual.

By deduction, she’s likely Caro… Caro something.

I think she’s the one secluded in her room doing concoctions, likely the source of yesterday’s strange smell.

“Have you come across the signal? We’ve had no luck finding it.”

I don’t know what the relationship between the two of them is, but well, Florentine is an adult unlike me, so maybe they’re just starting to interact normally.

“I bumped into Marion earlier, but she had no success either. Hasn’t the training concluded by now? There’s no smoke in sight.”

“Hmm… It could be too late by now. Isn’t that right, Caron?”

“…Yeah.”

I believe Caron is her nickname, the spiritual girl nods quietly.

Despite her imposing size, she appears to be a reserved individual with a calm demeanor and soft-spoken voice. —Interesting. I truly admire those who aren’t assertive. Perhaps we’ll get along well. If the opportunity arises, I’ll ask her about her concoctions or something similar.

“Well then, let’s head back. Eil, are you coming along?”

“No, I’m going to hunt deer first… Oh, by the way, could you help me carry it? As Instructor Yorgo mentioned yesterday, the deer in this area are quite large. I saw one yesterday and was taken aback. I stumbled upon tracks that appeared to belong to an unusually large deer, and when I pursued it, I encountered a massive creature that made me question my eyesight. Or was it even a deer? It was roughly two sizes larger than the hexagon deer, a magical creature. Well, it’s likely a different species from the deer I’m familiar with.”

Because it’s as large as a typical horse.

Especially the male deer, with their magnificent physique and impressive antlers, they exude both a sense of majesty and intimidation that surpasses any ordinary carnivorous beast.

Given the size of such a gigantic deer, it would be more natural to entrust it to Florentine to carry back rather than myself.

While it would be feasible to transport it back intact using my gifts, there’s a chance of detection.

So, I was planning to collect it in pieces.

However, since I still don’t know about the monsters that inhabit this area, it’s not a good idea to spread the smell of blood.

Since there’s a chance of attracting them, I wanted to avoid dismantling it here.

And that’s where Florentine came in.

Although it may have been coincidental, it turned out to be a stroke of luck.

“Deer! Ah! The Meat Man is after some meat! It’s been ages since I’ve seen this scenario, not since that village!”

Yeah, it’s been quite some time since then. But please, stop calling me the Meat Man.

—And so, following the instructions of my former master, I killed the deer and returned the three of us together.

As anticipated, or rather, as was to be expected, the three of us were the last ones to return.

The eleven candidates and three instructors were waiting in front of the tower, spending their time as they pleased.

Perhaps those who returned early ended up waiting for quite some time, as the gazes directed towards us were harsh.

However, once they caught sight of the deer carried by Florentine, our lateness seemed to be of little concern.

The candidates were astonished at the deer’s size, like a horse. Indeed, I was really surprised when I saw them yesterday. This is no ordinary deer.

But the instructors who had already seen them had no reason to be surprised.

“—And?”

Observing the three of us, Instructor Evansque spoke up.

“We’ve collected nine signal fires. Who has the final one?”

“Huh?”

As Florentine and Caro-something looked on with confusion, I removed the leather bag hanging from my waist and extended it forward.

“Here you are.”

“Huh?”

To my surprise, not only Florentine and Caro-something, but also Marion and Geodine, whom we had encountered just moments ago, appeared startled.

Instructor Evansque silently took the leather bag, meticulously unwrapping it several times and tightly securing the opening to prevent any smoke from escaping—then, thick red smoke began billowing out from within.

“…Alright. Eil is the final trainee to accomplish the task.”

It’s nothing extraordinary, really.

Basically, I just timed things to avoid running into others and potential conflicts.

First, I retrieved the signal fire sphere from a location where no one else was heading and sealed it tightly to prevent any smoke from leaking out.

Then, I killed time for a while, waiting for the candidates who were active in the forest to return.

The purpose of showing up to the “four trainees who couldn’t find the signal fires until the end” was to subtly suggest that I was in a similar situation as them.

If one or all of the “four trainees who couldn’t find the signal fires” were to learn about the situation at the tower, where only nine candidates had returned…

They might set up an ambush near the tower for the “last person.”

It was both a demonstration to prevent such ambushes and a declaration of “being in the same boat.”

If they were to ambush, they wouldn’t attack those who didn’t have signal fires.

If you collected the signal fire in a straight line at the fastest speed, there would be other candidates around. They might come to steal it.

If you returned with the signal fire halfway or later, the risk of encountering other candidates and potential attacks would increase.

Therefore, returning as the last one without the signal fire was the safest option.

That’s the “method to safely protect the signal fire sphere” that I opted for.

“—Hey, Zero! You had the signal fire!”

Well, I don’t particularly feel like going into all these details with someone.

Marion complains, but I already have a response prepared for that.

“I never said I didn’t have it, though.”

I’m not lying.

Since I still don’t know what kind of gifts the candidates have, I’m trying to avoid saying things that are “not true” as much as possible.

There might be someone with the gift to detect lies after all.

“Oh, so you fooled us?”

“I didn’t intend to deceive you, but it seems that’s how it came across. My apologies for that.”

I’m not lying, but I did make statements that might have caused misunderstandings.

I don’t really mind the others, but those four people I spent time with in that village are a bit more special to me.

I see them as regular friends.

So if Florentine is upset, I’d like to apologize.

Though, I don’t think she’s the type to get upset about something like this.

“—Great! Let’s eat the deer right away, Meat Man!”

Florentine is still as cheerful as ever. But don’t call me Meat Man.