As I was crouched in the corner of the gym with Yoon Si-woo, I heard the voice of Martina, who was looking after the kids.

“Alright, today’s class is over… You two taking a break, you should gather now.”

With that, I pulled Yoon Si-woo, who still seemed dazed, up and sat him among the line of kids.

Standing in front of the gathered students, Martina scanned their faces and shouted loudly.

“Thank you for following along in today’s class! To be honest, when I came here, I didn’t have high expectations for you, but most of you exceeded that! If you can make what you learned today your own, you’ll become stronger. I’ll be dropping by occasionally to educate you again, so I hope you show me an even better version of yourselves next time!”

“Yes!!!”

The kids replied enthusiastically, and Martina nodded in satisfaction.

I thought the atmosphere was wrapping up, but then I made eye contact with Martina as she momentarily looked around at the kids’ faces.

When she met my gaze, she flinched slightly and approached me, this time with a somber expression as she bowed her head.

“I-I’m sorry about today. I made you spar for no reason… I wanted to give you a chance to use what you learned in practice…”

I felt a pang of discomfort.

I was the one at fault, so why was she continually apologizing to me?

I waved my hands and responded to her.

“You don’t need to apologize. Thanks to you, Martina, I learned a lot today. It must have been tough for you to meticulously observe each student to see where they need improvement. Thank you for the wonderful class today.”

As I bowed my head to show my gratitude, Martina’s expression twisted slightly.

She looked both touched and somehow frustrated.

“…Damn it, I can’t handle this… You’re just too kind…”

As Martina mumbled something and quirked her lips in response to my gaze, she said with a smile.

“…Thank you for saying that. But, I still feel sorry, so I can’t let it go like this. Out of pride, I need to follow through. As an apology, I’ll grant you one request. Is there something you’d like to ask?”

Inside, I screamed.

Ahh! I’m the one in the wrong! Why are you so eager to grant requests?

But looking at her expression, it was clear she wouldn’t just drop this if I didn’t say something.

But asking for something felt wrong…

After a moment of contemplation, I sighed and spoke to Martina.

“Um… I don’t particularly have anything to request, so could you grant one of the other kids’ requests instead…?”

Martina sighed and gently patted my head.

“…You should know someone like me can grant most requests. But, I don’t dislike selfless fools like you. Since it’s like that, if any of you have something you’d like to ask, go ahead.”

At Martina’s words, the kids looked over at me.

Come on, just ask for something…

With that feeling, I nodded, and the inside of the gym became lively.

“What should we do? Should I ask for a photo with her? Or maybe a signature?”

“Ugh, I’m having such a hard time deciding… What should I ask to hear that I did well?”

The kids debated what to request among themselves.

In the middle of that, someone raised their hand sharply.

It was a girl with pink hair, Florene.

As the kids’ gazes focused on her, she shouted.

“Me! I want to see what strong heroes do up close and firsthand!”

“…Florene. That might be too much for Martina to handle…”

“Ugh~ Don’t say that! I want to see it for myself! I’m curious about how they fight against the demonic beasts!”

As Florene shouted, Marin tried to dissuade her, making a somewhat awkward expression, but most of the kids looked captivated by Florene’s words.

The Astrafe where Martina works was a place only exceptionally strong heroes could enter, an ideal for the kids.

I’m sure they all wanted to see it firsthand.

In the end, as the mood shifted towards asking for a chance to tour the front lines, Martina muttered with a troubled expression.

“A field trip, huh… If it’s just observing from the back and not fighting alongside, it shouldn’t be too disruptive, and experiencing the atmosphere there will undoubtedly help…”

After thinking for a moment, she asked Eve, who had been watching from nearby.

“What do you think, Teacher?”

“Hmm… If it’s a field trip, it can be considered part of education, so we might allocate class time for it. Of course, as it’s a dangerous area, we must ensure nothing happens to the kids. Martina, can we trust you on this?”

Eve’s question was met with a reassuring smile from Martina.

“Just trust me. Even if high-level demonic beasts attack, I won’t let them lay a finger on the kids. Since we have the teacher’s permission, everyone, get excited. I’ll show you how the heroes you admire protect the city.”

A cheer erupted from the kids.

And a few days later, we were set to visit the front line.

*

“Alright, I’m Kanna, the lieutenant of the 4th squad assigned to guide you today. You’ll be touring the northern boundary region’s front line, and since it’s a dangerous area, please do not act out spontaneously and stay behind us. We will protect you, but if you rush out on your own, you might really get hurt. Now, I know you understand, so let’s get started.”

After several days since the special class, the day for the field trip had arrived.

Gathering at the school, we followed the guide and utilized the teleportation gate within the city, heading to the city’s edge, and then stepped out of the magical barrier that protects the city.

It was an invisible magical barrier safeguarding the city from the influx of miasma.

Although it was invisible to the naked eye, we could clearly tell we had crossed it when we stepped over the thick lines drawn on the ground that delineated the city boundary.

Huge tower-like structures, which you would never see inside the city, stood here and there.

“Those structures you see over there aren’t buildings but huge magical tools. Think of them as larger versions of the magical devices used to dispose of demonic beast corpses. They gather and contain the miasma from the air and prevent the emergence of demonic beasts; they are essential constructions in the boundary area. The collected miasma is transferred to purification facilities for processing.”

“Hehe, that’s what Florene’s family is working on.”

Florene said with a smile.

Managing and processing miasma.

The Dolus family, Florene’s lineage, had been in charge of processing miasma ever since people were threatened by it in the distant past.

That was a primary reason Dolus was recognized as one of the three noble families wielding power in the city alongside the legendary hero family Aegis and Sylvia’s family, Astra.

Of course, their ancestors led the charge in defeating the lustful witch.

In any case, it meant that outside the barrier could very easily become a land where miasma proliferated if structures like those weren’t built, making it uninhabitable.

Since this was the first time voluntarily stepping outside the barrier, it hit me how dangerous this world truly was.

As I strolled, admiring the scenery, I soon spotted the teleportation gate at the boundary.

“Once we pass through here, we’ll be at the front line, so follow the guide closely.”

I could see the kids swallowing nervously, filled with anticipation.

I, too, stepped through the teleportation gate with a sense of tension, and I could see a barricade that seemed to stretch endlessly in the distance.

At that moment, a loud bang echoed from somewhere.

“Oh no, it seems they’ve attacked again.”

The woman who had been our guide, Lieutenant Kanna, muttered wearily.

Realizing where the previous loud noise had come from, the kids’ expressions turned tense.

Looking at their adorable reactions, Kanna spoke to them.

“Well, since we’re here on a field trip, we should at least go see what we can. Follow me.”

With those words, Kanna started walking toward the barricade, and the kids followed her.

The closer we got to the barricade, the louder the previously faint sounds became.

The roars of demonic beasts, the explosions of magic, the shouts of people.

And when we reached the barricade, we saw Martina watching intently over the edge.

“Captain, I brought the kids.”

“Ah, welcome. You arrived at a good time; the battle was almost over. Now, everyone, take a look.”

Martina extended her finger and pointed beyond the barricade.

Indeed, there was a battle raging.

Flashes of magic lit the area, and heroes wielding their respective weapons were taking down the demonic beasts.

But among them, one presence drew the most attention.

I heard a sharp intake of breath.

Surely, everyone was witnessing the same thing.

A mass of demonic beasts gathered beyond the barricade, and in the center stood a white-haired boy.

He looked like a sheep being eyed by a pack of wolves.

Yet, the one being hunted was not the boy.

If I had to sum up the sight before us, it would be slaughter.

The boy fiercely slashed through the demonic beasts with his sword.

He seemed furious, as if saying, “You are the targets for my anger.”

Switching weapons, he brutally tore, crushed, and sliced through them.

An additional horde of demonic beasts charged at the boy, but above them, a massive fireball conjured by Martina fell.

In an instant, light flashes, explosions, and shockwaves raced through the ground.

And when it passed, not a single demonic beast remained standing on the ground.

This was indeed a place for the highest-ranking heroes.

Amidst the silence among the kids witnessing that scene, Martina’s voice rang out.

“Welcome to the front line, everyone.”

*

“As you’ve just seen, fighting the demonic beasts is a daily occurrence at the front line. They don’t attack every time but certainly not infrequently. Especially these days. The furious demonic beasts run rampant, and we get swarmed constantly.”

Even as Martina spoke, the kids looked dazed.

They must have been shocked.

I was also pretty shocked.

They had witnessed a battle where heroes several times, many times stronger than themselves fought.

It would be strange if they felt nothing.

Seeing the kids quieted down, Martina smirked as if finding it amusing and continued speaking.

“Of course, that doesn’t mean it’s dangerous. The people here, as you saw, are strong. Not just me and the squad leaders, but even Yoon Si-woo, who recently attended class with you all.”

It was confidence, not arrogance.

Her displayed abilities warranted such confidence.

Yet that caused me to feel small, wondering if I could ever reach such a level.

“So, aim for us and train hard. I’m looking forward to the day we can fight alongside you. Don’t worry about anything else. Until then, we will protect you.”

Yet, from her mouth came encouragement.

A promise of protection.

The reassurance that such strong individuals were safeguarding us, and the hope they had in us ignited the previously drooping spirits of the kids.

Someone must have been awestruck, as applause broke out among the students.

Then, cheers and applause were directed toward Martina.

Martina, slightly embarrassed by the kids’ reactions, blushed slightly.

“Wow, that’s great. Just saying you’d protect us made my heart race a bit.”

But then, suddenly, her face stiffened at a voice that rang out.

The heroes, who had been repairing and regrouping after the battle, tightened their grips on their weapons, and Martina did the same.

I turned my head.

A woman, wearing a hood, stood beside me, I didn’t notice when she arrived.

She gazed over here from under the hood, her eyes glinting with interest.

“…Who are you? Unauthorized individuals should not be allowed here.”

“Ah, don’t worry. I’m not a suspicious person.”

As she seemed about to pull out proof of her identity in response to Martina’s question, the woman dug deep into her robe.

What emerged from her hand was a black orb, the same one I’d seen at the gym before.

And at that moment, a sensation gripped me.

It reminded me of the feeling I’d had while searching for the witch who had hidden during hide-and-seek.

No way. This can’t be. Why is she here…?

A sense of crisis crawled down my spine.

Before I could even scream out the identity of the woman, she smiled from under her hood.

“Not a person…”

“But a witch.”

[[[[■■■■■■■■■■!!!!!!!]]]]

A shrieking sound echoed through the air.