The Path 029 (Patreon)

With Johanna and Maeve eventually returning of their own accord, the search party to find them naturally concluded. Some, similar to Aisha, were against allowing them to rejoin the group. In response, Will simply reminded everyone that their actions were being observed by at least a hundred thousand people, including scouts and potential sponsors. After that, they miraculously became more cooperative.

'I guess that was the only attack...' concluded Will, sitting cross-legged atop his tower as the sky above gradually illuminated. He had anticipated at least one more, but the organizers had either decided to let them rest or determined it was futile to send a second group.

Regardless of the truth, Will rose and took a moment to stretch his lower back before leaping from his perch and making his way over to where a few of the girls in the group were preparing breakfast using spices he had supplied and meat sourced from the Labyrinth's monsters.

"Oh, good morning, Master William~!" exclaimed a bespectacled girl with unruly purple hair fastened into a long braid that extended past her hips and two uneven ones that framed her face like loose pigtails. She was by far the most talented Mage in their group, so while he had made it a point to remember everyone's names, Will had high expectations for the violet-eyed girl.

"And good morning to you as well, Sile," replied Will, adopting a faint smile that caused Sile's, pronounced see-lay's, face to light up. 

"A-Are you hungry?" asked Sile, scooping up a large ladle full of stew from a cauldron-like pot.

"There are few times when I'm not," responded Will, accepting the ladle and giving its contents a taste test as Sile and the two girls assisting her watched him tense but expectant smiles.

'Mmm...it's a bit gamey, but not terrible...' thought Will, outwardly nodding in approval as he remarked, "The three of you did well. This should bolster everyone's spirits nicely."

"Thank you for your praise...!" exclaimed Sile, accepting the ladle from Will and staring at it with a somewhat 'intense' look, almost like she was about to lick it. Fortunately, she managed to repress the urge, accepting a bowl half-filled with the analog for mashed potatoes from one of the other girls before carefully pouring several scoops of stew over it. The result was a savory dish reminiscent of Shepherd's Pie, putting Will in a good mood as, back in his first incarnation, he was at least a part Irish...

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After Will received his food, several others approached Sile's group to obtain their own, notably smaller, portions. Those in the 'combat' group were given larger portions, particularly Aisha, but as the group's de facto leader and strongest member, Will enjoyed the privilege of being the first to eat. And, unless he asked for seconds, it was an unwritten rule that no one else could.

Fortunately for the hungrier group members, Will didn't just go back for seconds but thirds. Near the end of breakfast, he also produced coffee beans, tea, and cocoa powder from his Inventory, revitalizing those who had struggled to rest and bolstering the entire group's morale.

"So, what's the plan...?" asked Aisha, sitting with the soles of her feet together in a very unladylike position while nursing a large cup of cocoa. In stark contrast, Azir sat with his back straight and legs under him in a w-pose, exuding an effeminate aura that undoubtedly left some feeling a sense of incongruency.

"The same as yesterday," responded Will. "We make for the center of the Labyrinth as a group and recruit anyone willing to join us. And to give the rest of you a chance to demonstrate your abilities, I'll take up the rear and only intervene when necessary."

"Then I'll also hang back," said Aisha, taking a sip from her cocoa before narrowing her eyes and adding, "Don't think I'll let you hog all the glory by being the only one to take on the Guardian..."

"More power to you," responded Will, causing Aisha to frown as he didn't care, even if she wanted to face the Guardian alone. His enrollment in the Academy was more or less a formality to repay his parents so he wouldn't lose sleep over Aisha wanting to show off.

"S-Someone's coming...!" exclaimed one of the lookouts assigned to keep watch, causing nearly everyone present to tense until Will relaxedly rose to his feet, dusted himself off, and made his way in the direction the shout had originated.

'Oh? I was wondering when they would appear...' thought Will, smiling as he met the gaze of the approaching Ohta, leading the way with a notably despondent-looking Tim following close behind. 

'I guess Dori was eliminated...' concluded Will, stepping forward to meet the duo halfway, remarking, "It's good to see the two of you haven't been eliminated. Have you eaten anything?"

"I can't eat normal food," responded Ohta, piquing Will's interest but not enough to compel him to ask for clarity. Instead, he turned to Tim, asking, "You good, Tim? You look...pale..."

"Yeah...I'm fine..." responded Tim, exhaling a faint, melancholic sigh as he added, "But Dori was eliminated..."

"I suspected as much," said Will, crossing his arms. "But don't worry. This isn't where her story ends. Once the entrance exam has concluded, you're both welcome to reside at the barracks of Eastwarden. The training might be hellish, but I can guarantee you'll be much better prepared for the next exam."

Noticing that Will had excluded him, Ohta frowned and asked, "And what about me?"

"Isn't that up to you?" asked Will, raising his right brow as he pointed out, "Tim here might not pass, even if he makes it to the end of the exam. That isn't the case for you. The only thing that can prevent you from passing is yourself."

Though his frown deepened, Ohta didn't try to refute Will's words. He did, however, wonder if he had fallen into the latter's trap. If Will could discern how strong he was, it wasn't unreasonable to think that his support of Tim and Dori was predicated on him becoming a lackey.

'This is why I hate nobles...' thought Ohta, causing a wave of confusion to wash over him as he couldn't remember interacting with any other nobles. He was 'certain' he hated them, though...

Noticing Ohta reach up to touch his choker, his brown eyes darting around as if searching for something, Will asked, "You good?" 

Regaining his senses, Ohta briefly blinked in surprise before regaining his frown and responding, "Mind your own business..." in a sulky, ill-tempered tone. Then, before Will or Tim could offer a response, he gazed past them and asked, "You got a problem, big ears?"

"No, but you're about to have one if you call me that again..." threatened Aisha, unfurling the foldable sickles adorning her hips.

"You can fight him after you've defeated me," stated Will, causing Aisha's brows to twitch. 

"Fine. But you should both watch your backs..." responded Aisha, giving Ohta a narrow-eyed look before returning her sickles to her hips.

"Then, with your permission, we will begin making preparations for our departure," said Ishyll, having followed after Aisha and Azir, just in case he was needed.

Nodding in affirmation, Will replied, "I'll leave it to you," before returning his gaze to Tim, pulling out a small vial of glowing blue liquid, and saying, "Here, drink this. You look like you're about to collapse at the first strong breeze."

"What's this...?" asked Tim, accepting the crystalline vial with a curious, albeit fatigued look. Ohta, Ishyll, Aisha, and Azir, however, immediately recognized it, their eyes widening as the former asked, "Are you serious right now? Even flaunting wealth has its limits..."

"It's fine," assured Will, adopting a playful smile as he added, "I won't turn around and tell him he has to repay me. But if he doesn't accept it, there's at least a one percent probability that I might be offended."

Feeling as though the tiny potion suddenly weighed a ton, Tim held it with both hands and asked, "Just what is this thing...?"

"Tears of Eialidh..." muttered Aisha, sporting a disproving frown as she explained, "It's an Elixir that not only restores a person's Mana and Aura but nourishes the pathways through which they flow..."

"That's right," affirmed Will, pulling out two more vials and proferring them toward the half-zoan girl as he mused, "Here, your prize."

Though she felt compelled to slap the vials away, Aisha restrained herself and received them with care. Tears of Eialidh weren't simply worth a small fortune; finding a seller was virtually impossible. The materials to produce them were rare, and their distribution was heavily controlled. Thus, unless you had powerful connections, getting your hands on the real deal was as difficult as squeezing water from arid desert sand.

"And I guess it's only fair that I give out a vial to everyone else," said Will, producing two additional vials, one for Ohta and the other for Ishyll. The latter accepted his with cupped hands and a somewhat giddy smile, but Ohta seemed genuinely annoyed, accepting the vial with half-lidded eyes despite removing the cap and downing its contents instantly.

To make things easier for the others, Will casually explained, "My mother had these mass-produced to try and remedy an issue with my Mana and Aura pathways. They unfortunately had little effect, but she permitted me to keep the remainder to distribute as I pleased."

"Well, if you've no use for them, I'll take them off your hands..." said Ohta, wiping his mouth with the back of his right forearm. The benefits of Tears of Eialidh diminished once a person's Mana and Aura pathways developed beyond a certain point, but the exceptionally pure and condensed Mana it contained made it extremely pleasant to consume.

"Everything has its uses," replied Will, maintaining a relaxed smile as he watched the others imbibe their potions. It didn't have a noticeable effect on Ishyll, Aisha, and Azir, but Tim's complexion went from pale and sickly to practically glowing as he perked up and exclaimed, "It's delicious...!" in genuine surprise."

"And there will be one for your sister once we get out of here," said Will, taking advantage of the segue to look to Ishyll and append, "I intend to depart within ten minutes."

"U-Understood...!" responded Ishyll, all but snapping to attention before he turned around and bolted back to the encampment as fast as his feet would carry him. After receiving something as precious as Tears of Eialidh as a mere gift, his already lofty impression of Will had compounded. Now, unless Will outright chased him away, Ishyll intended to remain at his side for the remainder of their time at Academy. And potentially long after...

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"I can't believe he would give away something so precious on a whim..." muttered David, massaging his forehead as he slumped forward atop a sofa in a well-furnished skybox.

"Do you find it odd?" asked Lyra, seated an appropriate distance from David atop the same sofa. "I personally find Will's behavior to be well thought out. He speaks in a way that reinforces his superior position but never in a way that makes those around him feel as though he is beyond them. It makes him easier to approach and incentivizes those close to him to be more respectful, or, at the very least, tolerant of others..."

"I think he's making himself 'too' approachable..." grumbled Claire, sitting next to Lyra with her arms crossed. She didn't mind that Will had rejected her, but seeing Aisha constantly hover around him made her want to grab the purple-haired girl's rabbit-like ears and pull them.

"Nn..." appended Delphina, equally annoyed but for marginally different reasons. In her view, Will's 'disregard' was a good thing, as, even if they were to marry, he wouldn't fawn over or pester her incessantly. Her ideal life was holing herself up inside her room and reading from sun up to sun down, so she didn't appreciate that some random half-beast girl from the south was encroaching on a battlefield she didn't belong...

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