Doggone Academy

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Cecil lightly embraced my waist and patted it. Over her shoulder, our eyes met with Trishas.

Sis

Trisha squirmed and tugged at Cecils clothes restlessly.

It was only then that Cecil released me.

The situation was somewhat chaotic. I wondered what had gotten into Cecil to suddenly hug me like this, and I had no clue what to say in this situation.

Li, Lilith!

Then, a young man rushed hurriedly toward Lilith. He grabbed her wrists with both hands and babbled out his words.

Lilith, Im glad youre safe. I was so desperate at that time I didnt know what to do. I

Lilith, without saying a word, stubbornly shook off his hands.

Both were concerned friends who had searched for her, but the scenarios unfolded in stark contrast.

As I pondered how to smooth things over, a tall woman approached us.

Her hair, black as night, fell to her thighs. Dark eyelashes. She wasnt quite as tall as Silveryn but was nevertheless imposinga mysterious beauty by any standard.

From the situation, it was clear she was none other than Professor Candinella.

Though we were meeting for the first time, she seemed to know who I was.

Two days of the exercise period remain. Are you going to continue?

All eyes shifted to Candinella as she continued.

Those present will receive extra credit for their ordeal. Youve already done splendidly by withstanding raiding beasts and subsisting on squirrels and mushrooms. You can certainly expect high marks.

Cecil exchanged quiet glances with her team members before speaking.

Were going to stop here.

Victor stepped forward.

I apologize. It was my fault for leading my team astray. I am willing to face any disciplinary actions.

Candinella shook her head.

This wasnt your fault. You will come with me for an accident investigation, but there will be no penalties. Rest assured.

Candinella looked at me with a kind smile on her lips.

What will our enigmatic friend in the mask do?

Trisha giggled from the side.

Hes called Mask-Wearer. How cute!

Cecil, noticing the mood, quickly covered Trishas mouth.

Going further? Others may say theyll continue, but theyll be rejected by the Circulatory System. If we return here, theres no sense in having risked the dangerous zones for energy-dense food.

Above all, we had the goodwill of the forest spirits. Although the practice is nearing its end, we might as well make use of this until the finish.

I glanced at Luna, who seemed to catch my drift and nodded.

We will proceed to the end.

Confident, arent you? Good.

Candinella turned to walk away, then stopped as if she had left something unsaid, and spoke over her shoulder.

Oh, and youmasked onelets have a personal talk after this exercise is over, hm?

Understood.

I wondered what she wanted to discuss. Would I have to wear the mask for that, too?

Suddenly, as I saw Professor Candinella, I was reminded of Silveryn. A young and handsome magic professorno help but to be reminded of her.

I wonder how Silveryn is doing. Is she still staying in the holy city?

With the professors intervention, the issue seemed resolved.

Professor Candinella prepared to lead away the twenty or so students, excluding us.

Shortly after, they moved away in a line, like ducklings following their mother.

Cecil stopped, then scurried back to me.

Candy!

Was she determined to get left behind?

Hurry up. Youll get lost if you dawdle.

I feel like it will be weeks before we see each other again if we part now. Dont vanish on me, okay? Stay in touch, you hear?

Though I could easily find her if I simply took off my mask in everyday life, for Cecil, it would feel like yet another friend had vanished without a trace.

I now understood her seemingly hasty attempt to build a rapport. Considering the ones in her care, she seemed to have a soft spot for people.

Lets meet again.

I like that youre as dependable as a rock.

?

Take care, see you.

Cecil waved her hand and turned back.

I surveyed the others. Trisha was no different from Cecil, and Sion had disappeared somewhere while I briefly looked away.

Lilith stood at a distance, her face full of unresolved feelings, then shifted her gaze to me once before moving on.

Luna and I turned in the opposite direction to everyone else. A warm blanket and soft bed beckoned, but we couldnt end things here.

Stepping back into the forest for a while, the forest spirits, like stuffed toys, appeared beside us and walked in line.

A few of them playfully tapped at my feet and then scurried away in surprise, running to Luna.

Can we really trust these guys?

Yes.

The forest spirits had stepped forward, offering a gift in return for our aid.

We planned to check this final gift before heading back.

Despite our pleas, they refused to give us an audience with the beast, so the potion of love was nearly given up on.

I could only hope that whatever the forest spirits were giving would hold value close to that potion.

The spirits took the lead and guided us.

How far do we need to go?

They havent said

I didnt think much of it, believing wed not have to go too far, but that was a mistake.

After four or five hours, with the day fully tilted and the sky filled with dark clouds, we still had to keep walking.

Whenever I thought to complain, suspecting the spirits of tricking us, I refrained because Luna firmly trusted the forest spirits.

As much as Luna trusted me, I needed to trust her.

Relying on the light cast by a fire orb summoned by Luna, we pressed on until just before midnight when we finally encountered a new landscape.

A forest made from glowing plants.

Numerous palm-sized, unnamed flowers bloomed here and there, emitting a soft light like glowing lanterns.

As the trees swayed with the wind, they shook off silverdust like a cluster of stars. The light seemed to ripple like waves.

Even Luna, who seldom showed emotional reactions, let out a small exclamation of wonder.

Wow

The forest spirits bounced around happily upon seeing this. They seemed to suggest they had more to show us, rolling their feet excitedly.

We continued walking.

A small lake soon appeared before us. It was stunningly beautiful.

The moonlight didnt reach, but the algae growing at the bottom of the lake glowed, causing the entire surface to sparkle with an emerald light.

The spirits rolled their feet, pointing towards a particular spot.

In the middle of the lake, there was a large rock jutting out like an island.

On it lay a white-furred deer, lying down.

With antlers, gold in color, sprouting out.

It exactly matched the description of the beast I had learned about during lessons on the Circulatory System.

Luna and I exchanged looks, then I stepped into the lake first, with Luna taking my hand and following.

The water was shallow, submerging us only up to our waists.

A few spirits followed, swimming across the surface of the water.

We created ripples in the tranquil lake as we headed toward the rock.

Climbing atop, Luna and I examined the deer.

There was no movement, and the body sank like a deflated doll.

Upon closer inspection, the back skin was split open, and the insides were completely hollow.

It wasnt dead after all.

Yes.

This was the leftover husk after its molting.

The spirits hadnt facilitated direct interaction with the beast, but they had repaid us exactly what we needed.

Is it okay to take these antlers?

At my query, Luna nodded.

I drew my wooden sword and carefully sliced off one of the horns.

Lets leave the remaining one for our juniors.

This time Luna replied with a smile and nodded agreement.

Our juniors need their chance, and its best the spirits have a bargaining chip to use against humans.

Suddenly, a faint blue light seeped from beneath the beasts hide.

The spirits jumped joyfully, signaling something to me.

Lifting the hide, a blue herb lay beneath.

It was the Blue Spirit Grass. Its importance at this moment was unclear.

Luna relayed the words of the spirits with a puzzled expression on her face.

They say even if it seems unnecessary now, it will be greatly helpful in our future journey.

Our next journey?

What were they talking about? One day I may return to the depths of the Soderton Circulatory System, but not any time soon.

Perhaps the message was intended for Luna.

Are you going to come back here, Luna?

No It seems like they were talking about you, Damian.

Could they see into my future? I would prefer to stay away from the wilds for a while. My next journey should be to the holy city where Silveryn residesthats where my thoughts are drawn these days, especially given my longing for Silveryn.

The spirits giggled and waved to us, and from the other side of the lake, where we had crossed, they too waved their hands in unison, as if to bid us farewell.

Then a light breeze passed, and the forms of the spirits faded away.

For a moment, it felt as if the world had paused.

I watched where the spirits had vanished, then gathered the Blue Spirit Grass and stood up.

Stepping back into the water, I held out my hand to Luna.

Lets go.

***

That night, during our camp, I had a dream.

A young deer with budding antlers approached our campsite, bowed its head in greeting, and disappeared into the light.

It was a dream without significant meaning.

Strangely, when I shared my dream with Luna in the morning, she said she had the same dream.

Pushing the drowsy feeling aside, we continued our trek out of the Circulatory System.

Freed from tension, our steps were light.

Theres something fun I want to show you

Hmm?

During a brief rest, Luna playfully placed the horn of the beast on the wolfs head. The wolf looked bewildered, lolling out its tongue panting. She laughed to herself quietly.

While I couldnt relate to her sense of humor, I was relieved to see her more relaxed. It felt as though we had grown a bit closer after seeing her unrestrained side.

With a leisurely spirit, we retraced our steps back the way we came.

By noon, Lunas wolf, who had been on a scouting run, came racing toward us, barking urgently.

Luna, who had communicated with the spirits, looked a bit surprised.

Theres a fallen person.

Lets go.

We hurriedly followed the wolf to where the person was. It wasnt far off our path.

There, in a part of the forest, a girl lay unconscious, her face planted in the ground. It was right on top of the tracks we left the day before.

A bold outfit with much of her lower half exposed. Black hair that seemed familiar. And the handle of a cerulean sword.

It was Sion.

She was damp from the morning dew on her clothes. Her body was icy cold but, thankfully, she was still breathing.

Upon closer inspection it appeared she had fainted while chasing us.

Words like lets just leave her came to the tip of my tongue.

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