And so, Arien and Shiro left the academy. As always, Shiro had his long katana secured at his side—the sleek, bladed weapon that was nearly as tall as he was, resting in its simple scabbard. Arien carried her own standard-issue katana, its practical scabbard polished and ready. With both of them leaving the academy grounds, Shiro finally spoke, breaking the companionable silence.
Shiro: How did you get permission to leave during school time?
Arien: Oh, that. Well, I told her that we applied for the Adventurer's Guild and needed to complete the entrance tasks.
Shiro raised his eyebrows, a gesture of mild skepticism.
Shiro: And she just let you go? Just like that?
Arien: Yes. Well, we're not cutting class. It's more like—
Saying that, Arien pulled out a folded paper from the inner pocket of her Practical Class uniform. It was the official note Professor Kareth had written when Arien went to ask for their leave.
Arien: —this. As long as we have this, we can leave for Adventurer's Guild-related business.
Shiro peeked at the document, his curiosity piqued.
Shiro: What is that? Some kind of permission slip?
Arien: Yes. In simple terms, this is a field permit we can receive for being in the Practical Class. So the time we spend outside, as long as we show this, is considered practical class material.
Shiro looked forward again, a hint of appreciation in his languid gaze.
Shiro: Ohhhh. That's some nice treatment.
And like that, both of them passed the Adventurer's Guild building and headed toward the city's teleportation gates—massive, rune-engraved arches humming with latent energy that connected the capital to various wildlands.
Shiro: So. Which one are we going to? Godfall Scar or Veilwood?
Shiro asked the question as if he were asking about the weather.
Arien looked at Shiro with a face full of surprise and alarm.
Arien: You are that confident? Well, even if you wanted to go there, we are definitely not going there.
Arien brought out the papers again, but this time alongside the slip given by the Adventurer's Guild. She waved them forth.
Arien: These two only give us permission to enter Grimwood. Where low-class magical beasts reside.
Shiro: Well, even if we went to Godfall Scar, we'd both end up dead as we entered.
Shiro smiled as he said that. And as they talked, both of them reached their destination: the teleportation gate for Grimwood. The archway shimmered with a pale, greenish light, and the air around it tasted of ozone and damp earth.
???: Say, you two! What are students doing here?
It was the guard stationed permanently near the gate. Arien and Shiro walked over, and she handed him both papers—the one from Professor Kareth and the one from the guild. The guard took them and read them with a practiced eye.
Guard: Hmm. Special permission by a professor at Shikai Academy... and a E-class Beast Hunt for entrance rights. Right.
Arien: Yes.
Guard: Well, E-class should be fine. But still, be careful. There's no telling what will happen once you're there. And considering the boy has a long katana, I'd guess he's a close-range fighter type. So you two should be okay. I think.
Arien was surprised by how the guard didn't react much after seeing Shiro's unusually long katana.
Arien: Do you people see this all the time?
The question got Shiro's attention too. With Shiro now also looking at the guard, the man responded.
Guard: One girl. Only one. Well, she also carries a long katana just like this boy.
He pointed a thumb at Shiro.
Guard: She's a pure beauty, Just like him, I tell you. And super strong too. Well, enough of that.
The guard handed the two papers back to Arien.
Guard: Well, good luck to both of you.
With that, both Arien and Shiro stepped through the shimmering energy of the teleportation gate.
They arrived in Grimwood. It was Arien's first time entering that place. It should have been Shiro's first time too, as only adventurers could officially enter these zones, but Shiro acted like he knew the place well, his gaze scanning the tree line with an unsettling familiarity.
Arien looked around, taking in the new environment.
Arien: Wow. So this is Grimwood, huh.
Shiro: Looks like it.
Grimwood. At first look, it was identical to a normal forest—tall, ancient trees, thick undergrowth, dappled sunlight. But the only difference was the air. Under normal conditions, the air was clear, but in Grimwood, it had a different aroma. There was nothing wrong with it, except for the color. The air in Grimwood had a slight, dark tinge to it, giving the entire place a somewhat ominous, haunted look.
Arien looked unpleasant, unnerved by this atmosphere. Shiro tapped her on the back.
Shiro: Why? Scared? So, where's that paper? I didn't even see what beast we need to capture.
Arien snapped back to reality.
Arien: Oh. Yeah.
Saying that, she brought out the guild slip and held it in front of them so both she and Shiro could read.
Shiro: Hmmm. "Wings of a Shriekbat." "Armor Plate of a Stonehide." And... "A fin of a Razorfin Prowler?" What is that?
Arien: Oh, you've never heard of that?
Shiro: No. Is it some kind of fish that walks on land or something?
Arien: Well, a Razorfin is a fish-type beast but lives in muddy areas. They say its dorsal fin is as sharp as a blade.
Shiro: So long-range is best for it, right.
Arien gave a side smile, her face full of a smug, confident look.
Arien: Well, as long as I'm here, that should be easy. Let's get walking.
And then, from the woods, came a small sound. But it didn't come from the ground—it came from up in the trees. A rustle, then a chittering shriek.
Suddenly, a round, furry shape launched from the canopy directly at Shiro with blinding speed. In a flash of motion too quick for Arien to follow, Shiro unsheathed his long katana. There was a clean shing of steel cutting the air, and the creature was cleaved perfectly in two mid-flight, both halves thudding to the forest floor on either side of him.
It took a moment for Arien to react, but when she turned around, the thing was already dead—a bat-like beast with leathery wings now severed.
Shiro flicked the dark ichor from his blade with a practiced motion before smoothly resheathing it.
Shiro: Well, that's one down. Wings of a Shriekbat.