NOVEL NEXT Chapter 174: Relay Station
Julia heaved a sigh of relief after seeing the Van was safe...
"What in the abyss happened in there?"
"Just forest pests," Van said as he handed over the pouch. "But I got the mushrooms."
She narrowed her eyes, but she still smiled in the end... "You're too competent to be a slave."
Van gently nodded. "I'm that capable."
"Right..." Julia then counted the number of mushrooms, and her eyes lit up.
"Wait… We'll get a reward if we reach 1,000 Points, right? With the eight ferns, we have 80 points already. Then, with fifteen mushrooms, we have another 750 Points! We're already 830 Points! We're almost done, and we didn't even spend the whole day. We still have a lot of time for this three-day event." She said.
"You're right… We just need to continue our momentum…" Van said.
The two then continued working together, and after a few more hours, they had gathered another seven Glowplume Ferns and six Honeycap Mushrooms.
[ +70 Academic Points Registered: Glowplume Fern x7 ]
[+150 Academic Points Registered: Honeycap Mushroom x3]
[ Total Points: 1050 Academic Points Registered. ]
"Yey! We're done!" Julia celebrated.
However, Van quickly explained that the mission wasn't really gathering 1,000 Points, it was the three days in Whistler Forest.
"R-right… Instructor Chavez said that we must do the missions to collect those items for three days. She didn't mention anything that we should stop at gathering a thousand points." Julia was immediately deflated at this thought…
Still, Julia quickly recovered.
After some time, they decided to same some rest as well.
They stopped near a bubbling creek.
Julia sat against a mossy stone, pulling out a ration bar. "You've done well today."
"Thank you, My Lady."
"Keep it up… I know that I can rely on you..."
Van gently nodded...
But within, his Ocularis Lens continued scanning for new targets, analyzing magical signatures and topography.
He wasn't just gathering plants.
He was learning more about this world, mapping its rules, and preparing…
Because one day, he would not be a slave.
***
It was already getting dark in the Whistler Forest when Julia and Van returned to the dirt path that led toward the outer perimeter.
Though the three-day mission allowed students to camp within the forest, nothing prohibited them from returning to one of the designated outposts to rest for the night.
And after a full day of foraging, fighting pests, and Magic Beasts, a real bed—no matter how simple—felt like paradise.
The outpost, known as Pinewatch Station, came into view just as the sun had completely dipped below the horizon.
It wasn't much to look at. They saw ten wooden houses arranged in a half-circle around a central bonfire pit. There was also smoke rising from a couple of stone chimneys.
In this area, the scent of smoked meat and damp pine needles lingered in the air. It was quite a distinct smell after all.
Then, Van noticed that the palisade surrounding the station was quite low…
In any case, Van, with his ocular lens, analyzed the area.
[ Outpost Designation: Pinewatch Station ]
[ Personnel: 10 Apprentice Mages, 10 Aura User Servants, 9 Civilian Workers]
[ Aura Signatures: Moderate. Threat Level: Manageable. ]
[ Observation: Tension among camp occupants – 40% probability of conflict trigger. ]
With his Lens, Van already knew that they were being observed before getting close to the station. Because of that, the Lens also picked up the tension as they approached.
It seemed that these Apprentice Mages were planning to do something.
Julia stepped through the outpost gate. As a noble, her head held high despite the dirt on her boots and the dried leaves in her hair.
Van followed behind, silently.
Soon, a middle-aged man with a large figure approached...
His black robes were trimmed in gray, so he was not a student but most likely a working Mage for the tower…
"Evenin', travelers…" He said with a lazy voice… It was as if he were already planning to take a nap. "Looking for a place to rest, are ya?"
"Yes," Julia replied.
"We're students… Can we have a room for two?"
The man grinned after hearing this...
Well, it was not impossible for them to give one wooden house to them. After all, only five are being used right now.
Three houses for the Apprentice Mages and two houses for the servants. This way, they could save up for the heating costs. It means that the other five wooden houses weren't being used.
Still, it wouldn't be easy.
"Always room for two. But I'm afraid there's a fee. We keep this place safe from beast attacks. Fifteen gold coins per person, per night…."
That was an excessive price… Just one gold coin could already get them five days in the nearby cities, and it already includes breakfast!
Julia blinked. "That's… that's more than the inns in Milton City..."
The man shrugged. "This ain't Milton. You want safety in Whistler Forest, it costs extra."
Julia was obviously enraged, but she was already tired from all the walking…
She then reached into her pouch… She was annoyed but unwilling to continue arguing. However, before she could produce the gold, two figures stepped forward from one of the nearby houses.
The one in front was a tall man with long black hair. The other figure was a shirtless man in his twenties who seemed to be a slave.
"Sir Niles, let them stay for free." The man said.
"Harrison… What are you planning now? I'm about to earn money here." Niles said.
"Can you see? She's from the Farrell Family… It's better not to rip her off if I were you." Harrison said, and soon, Niles stiffened for a moment.
The Farrell Family was obviously well known in the Rukh Tower… It wouldn't be surprising if this little girl were the daughter of the Tower Master after all.
Still, they were far from the Tower.
Harrison looked Van up and down, then turned to Niles.
The man arched a brow. "Oh? And why's that, Harrison?"
"Simple. Their servant looks proud. Let him prove himself. If he wins against my slave, they stay for free. We'll give you the best house… The one that the Instructors would use when visiting this place… But if he loses, they pay double."
Julia bristled. "That's ridiculous—"
Even Niles was shocked as he thought that Harrison didn't want to offend the girl from the Farrell Family! This had completely confused him!
However, Apprentice Mages like them, who rarely see other people, felt that having some entertainment from time to time was necessary. They believed that the Tower Master wouldn't even bother about this. As a matter of fact, they believed that the girl wouldn't even report this matter to her father. After all, they didn't cross the line and were only dealing with the Slave she brought.
"I accept," Van said calmly, stepping forward before she could Julia could finish…
Julia turned to him. "Van—!"
He bowed slowly...
"If it will save My Lady the cost of lodging, I'll fight. Besides, I'm confident in winning…"
Julia was once again reminded by Van that they were being observed secretly. After some consideration, she decided to let Van fight. In any case, she'd been following his advice since the start of the mission.
Just like that, Niles burst into laughter.
"Well damn. You hear that, everyone? We got ourselves a friendly little duel tonight!"
Soon, cheers rose from the other occupants of the outpost.
They had actually been listening since the start.
The Apprentice Mages peered from windows and doorways, grinning in amusement while a few servants gathered as they watched the two Aura Users face each other in the clearing near the bonfire pit.
***
The rules were simple: No killing. No weapons…
The first to incapacitate or force a submission win…
Van removed his coat and stepped into the circle they made…
Kairn, the slave that Harrison recommended, started shadowboxing to prepare for the battle…
"He's fast," Van mused.
Thanks to that shadowboxing, his Lens momentarily analyzed his speed, aura, and even his techniques…
[ Opponent: Kairn — First-Level Aura User ]
[ Known Techniques: Flow Step Technique ]
[ Known Weakness: None ]
"A first-level Aura User… Alright…"
Van muttered to himself as he knew that he had to take this matter seriously.
"Finish it quickly…" Julia suddenly said, completely confident that they'd win.
The other apprentice mages laughed at this since they were aware that Kairn was a First-Level Aura User. However, they didn't say anything about it as they wanted to see Julia's dumbfounded face once she saw her slave dropping face-first to the ground.
"Begin!" Niles announced.
The moment that announcement was made, Kairn moved instantly…
Though unarmed, he mimed the movement of blades, slashing his hands through the air like sabers. It seemed like he was a sword user!
Even without a sword, with his First-Level Aura, it wasn't a problem!
Van barely sidestepped to dodge this first strike… Still, he managed to duck and continue with a spinning kick!
Bam!