Extra in a Romance Fantasy

5 – Training (2)

…Yes, it was Eldridge.

The sole victim of the dungeon rampage incident.

If there were other Eldridges within the academy, that would be unknown, but if not, it meant Rachel was the victim.

…No, considering the circumstances, it’s likely Rachel.

When reading the novel, she was an unfamiliar character up to that point, so when her mention came up, I remember reading it without much thought.

Though memories of that time are not crystal clear, the novel seemed to describe her through the words of the characters.

The female of the isolated Eldridge family left alone in the dungeon miraculously survived but suffered severe wounds and wandered through difficult circumstances.

Furthermore, she barely regained consciousness, but her family ignored her wishes, withdrew her from the academy, and took her back to the family.

“…”

Rachel seemed somewhat tense, but her expression appeared calm.

It probably meant she was unaware of what lay ahead for her.

“Now, let’s begin the practical training.”

With that warning to myself, I started to move for the training.

A sense of frustration, as if a stone had lodged itself in my chest, accompanied me.

***

“Enter.”

Following the professor’s command, we entered the dungeon.

A strange sensation, as if an eerie energy was passing through our bodies, brushed against us, and the next moment, I found myself inside the dungeon.

“So, this is the dungeon….”

“It’s dark. Something feels off about the atmosphere.”

Surrounding students expressed their impressions while exploring various parts of the dungeon.

Originally, the cave’s interior would have appeared dark, but torches installed by the academy provided just enough visibility.

“Everyone, be quiet.”

The professor calmed the chaotic atmosphere and, as planned beforehand, categorized the starting points.

After some time passed, I found myself standing at the assigned starting point with my teammates.

“Alright. Let’s start the practical training.”

With the professor’s command, checking the clock within the embrace, the students began to move forward.

Somewhat haphazardly, yet forming a formation of their own.

It was a typical formation, so to speak, sending students majoring in combat towards the front, those specializing in magic towards the rear.

How far had they gone?

“Ah…!”

A startled voice of one student, and something appeared in our sight.

Slinking forward—

“It’s a Ratman…”

Ratman. A monster with a form closely resembling a human and a mouse.

Though not particularly powerful on its own, it was not an opponent to be taken lightly due to its tendency to act in groups. Additionally, its grotesque appearance made it particularly repellent, especially to women.

Considering these various points, despite its not-so-high combat abilities, it could be seen as suitable for novices to face. The academy probably chose this for that reason.

While many students around showed surprise or tension, I wasn’t particularly startled.

I knew from the start that Ratmen would appear, having encountered monsters like this before.

“Don’t let your guard down!”

At the professor’s command from behind, the students adjusted their postures.

And soon enough, the battle began.

The battle itself wasn’t as challenging as anticipated.

Objectively, Ratmen were weak monsters, so with this number of people, there wasn’t much need for elaborate coordination.

The students seemed to recognize this, as their tension eased gradually, becoming more accustomed to the battle.

Thus, our group began to progress into the dungeon without significant obstacles at some point.

Up to that point, it seemed like the practical exercise would end without any major issues.

Of course, it wasn’t going to be that simple.

***

“What’s this…!”

Alexis couldn’t hide her bewilderment at the sudden turn of events.

The practical exercise itself was progressing without major problems.

The group, which initially faced some difficulties, was now handling the Ratmen smoothly and moving forward.

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However, the situation abruptly changed with a sudden vibration and a thunderous sound echoing.

Kwaaah—!

The aggression of the Ratmen surged in an instant, and their combat prowess intensified.

To make matters worse, the continuous tremors since the initial quake made the battle even more challenging.

“Everyone, stay calm!”

Though a staff member finally stepped forward from the rear, it wasn’t enough to resolve the situation entirely.

Cr-r-rash!

An overwhelming number of Ratmen, unlike anything seen before, began to swarm in.

“Good heavens… What on earth…! We need to retreat for now!”

Even with the Ratmen growing stronger and in greater numbers, they were still just Ratmen. Under normal circumstances, the staff could have handled them adequately. However, the priority wasn’t dealing with the Ratmen at the moment.

Realizing they couldn’t entirely ensure the students’ safety against such formidable Ratmen, the staff ultimately decided to retreat.

The students, gripped by panic and fear, moved in accordance with the staff’s instructions to merely survive.

Naturally, Alexis was among them.

But ultimately, Alexis couldn’t move as intended.

Kwaang!

An abrupt explosion forcefully pushed Alexis away.

Fortunately, the blast didn’t directly hit, but Alexis was within its impactful range, sent flying backward by the explosion’s force.

Before Alexis could recover from the shock and rise to their feet, consecutive explosions ensued.

Thud!

Though this time, he wasn’t directly caught in the explosion, it wasn’t entirely unrelated to him either. The explosion occurred just above his head.

As a result, the cave’s ceiling collapsed, and the debris cascaded toward Alexis, who couldn’t recover from the shock.

“Alexis!”

Seeing this, the staff was distressed, yet in the midst of protecting the students from the Ratmen, they couldn’t immediately reach Alexis.

“Damn it…!”

Alexis cursed inwardly while helplessly watching the pile of rocks plummeting toward them.

Am I going to die? Is it going to end this abruptly?

It felt too futile.

As Alexis found themselves in a situation where they could only helplessly stare at the falling rubble toward them.

Suddenly, an external force acted upon Alexis, pushing their body away.

Thud!

And the pile of rocks mercilessly crashed down.

Even amid the settling dust, Alexis somehow realized, without knowing how, that they had survived.

“Are you okay?!”

The voice that reached his ears snapped him back to reality.

Turning towards the direction of the voice, he saw the face of a girl.

Alexis immediately recognized her.

She belonged to the same faction as him.

Surely… her name was Mary.

“Thank you. I owe you my life.”

Alexis rose to his feet and bowed sincerely in gratitude towards the girl.

“Oh, no! Please, don’t bow!”

Mary fidgeted, waving her hands frantically at Alexis’s gesture.

Though she was a noblewoman herself, facing a prince evoked such a reaction—it was expected.

Within the academy, they claimed equality regardless of status, but few were unaware of the imperfect application of those words.

“I’ll repay this favor someday, without fail.”

Alexis thought earnestly, making a vow.

He was determined to repay the debt of saving his life.

“Well, it’s not necessary… but anyhow, to do that, we need to escape from here first.”

Mary’s troubled expression turned serious.

“…Indeed.”

Alexis’s expression mirrored hers, his gaze directed at where he had been moments ago.

What he saw was a path completely blocked by debris from the fallen ruins.

***

“Phew… Is everyone okay?”

Wiping sweat off his forehead, the professor checked on the students’ conditions.

If the professor was this concerned, how were the students faring?

Most of them were sitting on the ground, soaked in sweat, and I was among them.

How long had it been?

“I’m alive!”

“I almost died…!”

Other teams also emerged from the dungeon one by one.

The number increased steadily, and at some point, most of the members revealed themselves unharmed.

“They’re following the original story.”

Perhaps by now, Mary and Alexis would be struggling together to escape the dungeon.

Even through hardships, they would join forces, overcome difficulties, and eventually escape.

Thus, this event would conclude without significant casualties compared to its scale.

… Except for Rachel Eldridge.

“…”

She deliberately ignored the discomfort slowly rising in her chest.

“…It’s not like I’m going to die.”

She would suffer severe injuries, but death was not on the table.

And as long as she didn’t die, she could be adequately treated. After all, sacred power existed in this world.

If the power of such a renowned family, as Jack mentioned, was influential, borrowing the strength of a higher-ranking clergy member would be possible.

Not dying, just getting hurt.

Just leaving the academy.

So she had to let it go on as the original story dictated.

…That’s how it had to be.

─ “The situation I’m in is too frustrating, and I wanted to do something. I thought that coming to the academy might show some possibilities, at least that’s what I thought.”

─ “But… now that I’m here, I don’t know. I don’t know specifically what to do, how to change this situation, and whether I even have the power to change it… I don’t know.”

─ “Maybe everything is just futile struggling. Maybe I can only face the predetermined future. I often think that way.”

“…”

The next moment, her body was running toward the entrance of the dungeon.

“…Huh? Wade Heblon! What are you doing! Stop!”

A voice from behind tried to stop me, but my legs didn’t halt.