Academy’s New Guard is Unusual - Chapter 61

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————

Episode 61
The Forest of Lost Ones has two Taboos in total.
First, do not answer three or more Spirits.
Second, think of the forward direction and walk.
Breaking even one of these two Taboos means wandering the forest eternally.
The first and second Taboos were different in nature.
The first Taboo causes you to lose your way the moment you answer three times, but the second Taboo draws you closer to the forest’s center in proportion to your steps.
In some ways, the second Taboo was more dangerous than the first. The closer you get to the forest’s center, the more horrifying the Spirits become.
But precisely because of that, the second Taboo could be turned to one’s advantage.
‘It was something Evangeline discovered in the game.’
Starting from four steps backward, you enter the Middle Layer of the forest.
So—
“Think that you’re walking backward, and take exactly three steps.”
I brushed off the air as I spoke. Then Milo asked with a vacant expression.
“Won’t four steps work?”
“I’m curious myself. Try it and let me know. Ah, but I won’t hear it anyway. Those would be your final words.”
“I’ll take exactly three steps.”
Milo spoke with resolve. Darkin dangled on his shoulder, swaying loosely.
Darkin’s legs dragged along the ground because of his sheer size.
“Exactly three steps.”
“Yes, three steps.”
He nodded and moved to start walking backward. It would be over if he simply thought backward and stepped.
Just then, Milo asked urgently.
“One, two, then three? Is that right?”
“No, four would come next.”
“……Are you really saying four?”
“Milo, you’re remarkably stupid.”
“Is that a compliment?”
“A compliment? No matter how stupid, how is it possible not to know three?”
“I’m nervous and got confused. Anyway! One, two, three. Is that right?”
Answering would feel like catching his stupidity, so I ignored him and moved forward.
‘One.’
The landscape around me transformed in an instant. The forest, already dark from the sunlight not reaching in, grew darker still. The trees grew denser.
‘Two.’
The landscape deepened further. The trees, which had been a deep brown, turned black. As if rotting. Yet the scent grew stronger—a sweet smell that assaulted the nose. Like something designed to lure insects—
‘Three.’
Thump. Something squishy grabbed at my feet. Looking down, I saw black-green mud, viscous and thick. It was nearly up to my ankles.
This was no longer a forest.
A deep marsh stretched out endlessly. Trees stood in the marsh here and there, but their roots jutted upward as if they’d been planted upside down.
They looked exactly like drowning people reaching their hands up from the mud.
“Three! Three! Three!”
A loud shout erupted from behind. It was Milo.
Milo barely regained his balance before falling. In the process, Darkin’s face on his shoulder dipped into the marsh and came back out. Darkin, now looking like he’d been dipped in fondue, hacked and coughed.
Milo laughed dryly.
“I’m smarter than I look.”
Tapping his own head and boasting so shamelessly made it not even worth mocking.
Only then did Milo look around and stare down at the marsh gripping his feet, making a face of disgust as he asked.
“What is this place?”
The Forest of Lost Ones is divided into three zones.
The Deep Layer, the Middle Layer, the Surface Layer.
This was the boundary between Surface and Middle. Because we stood at the boundary, no Spirits appeared.
The marsh was too thick for Spirits from the forest to enter, and too shallow for Spirits from the marsh to emerge.
Though the reason existed, I didn’t bother explaining it to Milo.
What would I tell someone who doesn’t even know three?
“A marsh.”
“Ah, a marsh. So what do we do here?”
Milo adjusted Darkin on his back as he asked. Mud tumbled from Darkin’s mouth.
‘What do we do.’
Since Darkin has gone missing, a search party will be organized.
Evangeline, who sticks her nose into everything, will join the search party, and the moment she enters the Forest of Lost Ones, a problem will arise.
Evangeline will answer the Spirits’ questions without hesitation.
Not because she’s incompetent.
‘She’s just too kind.’
Evangeline was absurdly, impossibly kind. She cannot turn away from Spirits who lost their way and wandered for decades.
Even if she herself goes missing, Evangeline will gladly answer the Spirits’ questions.
When that happens, a Rift will open. All we have to do is wait.
So—
“Take a nap.”
“Understood.”
Milo nodded immediately, wearing a bright expression.
I let out a chuckle.
Then Darkin, hanging from Milo’s shoulder, began squirming and struggling with groans.
“Ah, sorry?”
Milo, speaking in a tone that conveyed no apology whatsoever, punched Darkin on the head.
Darkin went limp again.
Another bump formed on Darkin’s head.
* * *
‘This is really bad.’
Andy gazed anxiously at the Forest of Lost Ones. The line of first-year students ahead was nearly finished.
Even the Crown Prince went in, and even Rosa, who rebels at every opportunity, had entered.
But—
“Why won’t you go in!”
Andy shouted, looking at Evangeline.
Evangeline answered calmly.
“I have a bad feeling about it.”
“……It’s the Forest of Lost Ones. Of course the feeling isn’t good, is it?”
“That’s a fair point.”
“A—fair point?”
At Evangeline’s brazen attitude, Andy’s fists trembled.
Just then, a Student Council member, looking pale, rushed to the Student Council president. As the member said something, the previously composed president’s face hardened.
“Someone went missing?”
The president gave some command, and the Student Council moved urgently.
They blocked the students trying to follow into the Forest of Lost Ones, and the Student Council itself entered.
The atmosphere had taken a grave turn.
“Someone must have gone missing.”
“I told you? Bad feeling.”
Evangeline, suddenly full of herself, lifted her chin.
Andy ignored Evangeline and surveyed the situation.
Soon, the first-year students who had entered the Forest of Lost Ones began to return. Once gathered, they started murmuring among themselves.
“Apparently a student and a Security Corps member both went missing.”
“Ah, that barbarian—. Anyway, barbarians always cause trouble…….”
Grave and Milo, along with a student who entered with them, seemed to have gone missing.
Missing in the Forest of Lost Ones—how ironic.
The situation was serious, but Andy had an odd intuition.
Grave, who crushed absurdities even in a Rift, suddenly disappearing in the forest. It was hard to imagine.
Rather—
“Did he do it on purpose?”
“Come on, even so, he wouldn’t deliberately go missing. Not in the Forest of Lost Ones.”
Evangeline clicked her tongue and waggled her finger.
Andy scratched the back of her head. Perhaps she was right.
Still, no matter how you looked at it, there was no reason for someone to deliberately go missing in the Forest of Lost Ones.
Just then, Dapern, the Student Council president, stepped forward.
“A fellow student lost their way in the Forest of Lost Ones. Tsk, apparently they foolishly ignored instructions. This happens fairly often. Sometimes we get these barbaric types who don’t listen.”
Ha ha ha. Laughter erupted from places here and there. But Andy and Evangeline didn’t laugh.
The president smiled briefly and continued.
“We will now conduct a search to find the missing student. The Student Council will move with you, so there’s no danger. The first student to find them will be recommended to the Student Council. Those who don’t wish to participate, raise your hand.”
The Student Council of Elysium Academy was a place where only the elite among students gathered.
Every student dreamed of entering and wanted to join the Student Council, and now they were being offered a recommendation—
Of course, not a single student abstained.
What was surprising was that Evangeline didn’t raise her hand. When Andy looked at her questioningly, Evangeline spoke seriously.
“Grave helped us. This time, we should help him.”
“……Who’s helping whom?”
“Me helping Grave. Hehe.”
Evangeline pointed to herself with her thumb and smiled with confidence.
Evangeline was going to help Grave?
It was the most ridiculous thing Andy had heard in her life.
Just then, the Student Council president warned seriously.
“Once you enter, Spirits will appear in the form of students and ask for help. If you answer three or more Spirits, you’ll go missing, so absolutely do not answer. Besides, Spirits are already one with the forest. Even if you try to help, you can never truly save them. Remember that.”
Don’t answer the Spirits.
Andy repeated the words quietly to herself.
The search began immediately. Because of the grand name “search operation,” the mood was excited.
The first-year students entered eagerly.
Evangeline and Andy were last.
The moment they entered the forest, they were greeted by a thick, clinging air.
Trees were so densely packed that sunlight couldn’t reach through, but it wasn’t particularly frightening. There were other students all around.
The students bustled about searching their surroundings as if on a treasure hunt, and Student Council members stood guard at the perimeter like a fence.
It was an atmosphere where disappearing would be impossible even if you wanted to.
Then someone pulled Andy. It was Evangeline.
“This way.”
Evangeline pointed behind them. Andy scowled immediately.
“We just heard. Walk forward.”
“I have a feeling.”
“That feeling again—”
“For real. It’s this way.”
Evangeline pointed backward again with certainty. Andy sighed and followed Evangeline, walking backward.
After all, there were other students behind them. There were Student Council members too, so nothing should go wrong—
“Huh?”
The moment they moved backward, the air suddenly changed, and Andy startled.
Somehow the landscape around them had transformed. It was a place that felt deeper and more dangerous.
Not a single student from before was visible.
“Evangeline! What is this!”
Andy called out to Evangeline urgently.
Evangeline beside her was looking at something. When Andy followed her gaze, she saw a student in the distance.
But the student’s presence was strange.
The student’s uniform was stained black. As if it had emerged from a marsh—
Click. The student extended an arm bent unnaturally outward.
“What’syourname?What’syourname?What’syourname?”
A sound like a wail came from the student’s mouth. At that horrifying noise, Andy went rigid.
Then Evangeline took a large step forward. Andy grabbed her urgently.
“What are you doing!”
“Huh? They’re asking for help.”
“That’s obviously a Spirit! If you answer, you’ll go missing!”
“You go missing only if you answer three Spirits. One time is fine.”
Then Evangeline clicked her tongue and spoke. At such logical words from Evangeline, Andy was taken aback.
Of course, it was right. However—
“You can’t save them anyway! Why answer at all!”
“No, I can help.”
Evangeline spoke with conviction in her voice.
Something about her demeanor was different from usual. It seemed more mature somehow.
Before Andy could hold on any longer, Evangeline moved toward the Spirit.
The Spirit opened its mouth wide. Black liquid dripped down, but Evangeline, unbothered, took the Spirit’s hand.
“I’m Evangeline. You went missing ten years ago, didn’t you? You were a senior. That professor you had is still around. Ah, they give grades harshly, I hear?”
Evangeline chatted with the Spirit. It looked like she was actually conversing.
Evangeline was someone who couldn’t even properly converse with ordinary students, yet here she was naturally talking to a Spirit—it was absurd.
Then the black coating on the Spirit began to fall away.
After all the black fell away, what was revealed was an ordinary student.
The now-whole Spirit smiled and spoke.
“Thank you.”
Even Andy felt a sense of satisfaction, but Evangeline herself—
“Ugh, guh-uh-ack.”
Suddenly made a strange noise and stumbled backward.
‘What, being able to talk only with Spirits?’
Andy pressed her temples.

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————