The sounds of trees splintering under massive force and the frantic crunch of leaves echoed through the northern side of the island. Two terrified students ran, their shouts overlapping with the roar of the monster chasing them.
"Aaaaaah!!"
Theo and Elizabeth screamed as they sprinted, a hulking dire bear thundering after them.
"What is a dire bear doing on an island like this!? They shouldn't even be here!" Theo shouted in desperation.
Unknown to every single S class student, Kafka Crowbell had secretly brought monsters to the island for the test—without warning them.
"I... I can't... I can't keep going..." Elizabeth gasped, her breath ragged, vision blurred. Her body wasn't built for this level of exertion.
"We agreed you'd defend me!!" the prince yelled.
Before the bear could close in, the pair stumbled into the territory of another monster: a Bloodhorn. The two beasts immediately turned on each other, roaring and clashing.
Seizing the chance, Theo and Elizabeth fled until they found a safe spot.
Theo collapsed to the ground, panting heavily. Elizabeth dropped to all fours, clutching her stomach.
"Blegh... I... I shouldn't have eaten all that food before coming here..." the demi-human bat girl groaned, staring blankly at the dirt.
"Gross..." Theo muttered.
All the resources they had gathered, all the safe zones they had secured—gone in minutes.
"Haaa... haaa..."
"And you want to get involved in what Alen gets into...?" Theo asked, glancing at his partner, though he wasn't much better off himself. He knew he wouldn't last a second if he tried to follow Alen's footsteps.
"I... I wouldn't be going through this if it were with all of you," Elizabeth wheezed, before flopping to the side where she had just thrown up.
"Alen, Von Themys, and Cecil would've killed those two monsters without breaking a sweat. No help needed," Theo said, his words meant more to intimidate than to comfort.
"We all have different roles, prince. With them around, we'd be in the backlines, showering spells on our opponents." Elizabeth adjusted her glasses, completely unfazed by his attempt at intimidation.
"Why would they even need support? Those three are exceptional at both magic and combat. We'd be useless." Theo's tone softened into something closer to melancholy. He lowered his face and sighed.
"Even the strong need help. No one can handle everything alone. At least, that's what I believe."
"You've clearly never lived among true monsters... There are people out there who shine so brightly they don't need anyone."
Of course, as the second prince of the Raychmen kingdom, Theo had always lived in the shadow of his older brother Julius—and beside his bodyguard, Cecil.
"Wow... really?" Elizabeth's eyes sparkled. She leaned close, her expression eager.
"You just threw up! Don't get too close to me!" Theo barked, shoving her back with his hand.
"Wah, sorry!"
"...How did you even get top four in the S class?"
"Same way you did, prince!" She puffed her chest out proudly, her little bat wings flapping in excitement.
"...Right."
Theo had claimed the number-one spot by achieving a perfect score—going above and beyond on every requirement. His interview was flawless, and only his sparring match against the teacher had come out average.
He suspected Elizabeth had made it into the top four because her interview and spar were weaker than his, though her written test scores were strong.
"But I really mean it, prince!"
"Huh?"
"I can only imagine what it's like, growing up surrounded by so many talented people. I would've loved having that!"
"... "
"N-not that I dislike my family! Far from it! I love them and wouldn't change them for anything," she said quickly, a bit flustered.
"...It's not as good as you think," Theo whispered.
"How so?"
"It's... infuriating. No matter how hard you try, they're always one step ahead. Eventually it feels pointless to keep chasing them."
"Hmm... maybe it's because we're different people, or maybe because we lived completely different lives. But I'd see that as motivation to push myself harder."
"That's how it starts... Then you end up like me," Theo muttered.
Before she could press him, he stood abruptly, brushing dirt off his hands.
"Let's go. We're still in the northern area, and those monsters could be anywhere. We have to keep moving."
"Y-yeah. Leave it to me to protect you, prince! It's what we agreed on!" Elizabeth said brightly, quickly getting up to follow him.
Theo doubted her, but part of him wanted to believe. If they could keep their distance, they might have a chance. But if an enemy closed in... it would be over.
In the end, there wasn't much they could do. Maybe they'd find someone else to team up with, but so far it seemed few students had landed in the north.
At least, that's what they thought—since they hadn't encountered anyone else yet.
"What's the plan now?" Elizabeth asked, trailing behind him.
"I think we should move to another area. It's clear we're not suited to survive here. Maybe other regions are easier."
"But this area probably has better rewards, since the risk is higher."
"That's true... Given the monsters, fewer students would stay here. That means the teacher assigned to this area is less likely to be challenged."
"Which gives us a better chance to steal their badge!"
Both options had merit. Surviving here was dangerous but rewarding. Leaving could mean safety but fewer opportunities. Assessing the situation correctly was the most important part of this test.
"So it's decided then. We'll stay in the north!" Elizabeth declared, nodding with a satisfied hum.
"What do you mean 'decided'!? We didn't agree on that!" Theo snapped.
"I thought you also wanted to take the harder path..."
"And why would I want that?"
"Because that's what they would do."
"Who's 'they'?"
"The talented ones—Alen, Princess Von Themys, Cecil. The strong know they're strong, so they face the hardest challenges."
"And why would we copy them? We're not their equals."
"Because they're our goals! Even if we can't do what they can, we can still follow the same objectives. If they face the hardest trials, then so will we!"
"...You really are like that..."
Theo wanted to say no. He knew their limits, knew how impossible it would be for the two of them to survive here. Yet a tiny, stubborn spark inside him still wanted to try.
He knew he'd only disappoint himself. He'd never match his brother—a once-in-a-generation genius.
Yet...
"Let's explore the area more. We'll find the teacher, then come up with a plan to take him down."
"Yay!" Elizabeth cheered, her bat wings flapping excitedly. She adjusted her glasses, light flashing across the lenses—a clear sign that her plan was about to be outrageous.
"Let's just gather some berries first. We lost most of them when we ran from those monsters."
"That's exactly what we shouldn't do, prince." Elizabeth crossed her arms with a smug look.
"Help me explain everything."
"[Blackboard]"
A blackboard suddenly appeared beside her.
"Don't say or chant it as if you've just cast a spell!" Theo snapped.
"You see..." she pointed dramatically at the board. "What lured the dire bear to us was the pile of berries we collected. As a bat demi-human, I'm very sensitive to fruits, they're my favourite after all. If I could smell them, the monster definitely did too. All that concentrated fruit was like bait for it."
"That... actually makes sense," Theo admitted, nodding along. "But you didn't even write anything! You just pointed! And where did you even get that blackboard!?"
"It was my spell, of course. How else would I get one in the middle of nowhere?"
"'Blackboard' isn't a spell!"
Theo groaned. Being with Elizabeth felt oddly similar to being with Cecil—though she was far smarter and far less battle-obsessed than his bodyguard.
"Because we're only here for a day, and because we still haven't stolen a badge, adopting a sedentary tactic isn't in our best interest. Staying nomadic is our go-to plan if we want to pass this test," Elizabeth explained, adjusting her glasses.
"Then we should only pick up small amounts of fruit—just enough to carry while we move. But traveling means we'll need to be even more careful. We could stumble into a monster without meaning to, or even without realizing it," the prince added.
"Let's divide our tasks! You can study and lead the way, while I keep my eyes and ears sharp for threats," Elizabeth declared, crossing her arms with satisfaction, as if they had just devised the perfect strategy.
"Fine by me. The more I learn about this area, the better it is for both of us."
With their roles decided, the duo explored the northern area with caution, always on alert.
Eventually, they stumbled upon the corpse of a dire bear—different from the one that had chased them earlier.
This one lay sprawled on the ground, its chest pierced clean through. A second hole marred its skull, the kind of wound that would kill instantly.
Theo and Elizabeth exchanged uneasy glances. There was no question about it—only one person could have done this.
The frozen shards jutting from the bear's body and the frosted ground beneath it made the answer clear.
Franchesca Von Themys.
She was the only one strong enough to slay such a beast—and the only mage in their class with an ice affinity powerful enough to leave a scene like this behind.
The frozen trail stretched westward, pointing in the direction she had gone.
For a moment, they considered following her path, maybe even joining up with her. But they quickly discarded the idea.
Without Alen by her side, Franchesca was unapproachable—even for Theo, who had spent time with her before.