Chương 44: Frontier Field Exercise

Ch 44 - Frontier Field Exercise The dreaded day had finally arrived. Over the past few nights, Evan's sleep had only gotten worse. Every time he closed his eyes, his brain seemed determined to torment him with nightmares of every possible disaster that could happen beyond the barrier. It certainly didn't help that Reid wouldn't be accompanying him. The Frontier Field Exercise was reserved for a select group of students between the ages of sixteen and eighteen, while Reid was twenty-five.

If only he could skip the whole thing.

Unfortunately, that wasn't really an option. For reasons completely beyond him, an F-rank like himself had somehow been selected as one of the "lucky" participants. Most students would have jumped at the opportunity. The exercise offered valuable field experience and a chance to earn recognition from both the academy and the public. Evan, on the other hand, had already attracted far more attention than he wanted and would have gladly traded his spot for someone else's.

Even if the academy had given him a choice, however, he still wouldn't have stayed behind. He needed to keep an eye on Hiroto. Evan had every intention of making sure his first subordinate reached his full potential, and with Reika assigned to the same group, his presence felt even more necessary. Who knew what kind of trouble those siblings would get themselves into if he wasn't there to keep the peace?

Since the Frontier Field Exercise wasn't just a day trip, the students had been told to pack enough clothes and other necessities for several days. Reid naturally took it upon himself to help, completely ignoring Evan's repeated protests. As he folded every shirt and packed the bag with meticulous care, he continued rattling off one reminder after another.

"Remember to stay close to the instructors and don't wander off by yourself," Reid said.

"I'll call you every day, but if you're busy, at least send me a message."

"Brother, did you already forget our conversation about trusting me more?" Evan asked.

"I haven't forgotten." Reid zipped up one compartment before moving on to the next.

"But this is different. You're not competing in the safety of the academy this time. You're going to the Wildlands."

"It'll be fine. There'll be plenty of Awakeners around, and besides, the Frontier Field Exercise is held every year. What could possibly go wrong?" Even as he said it, his imagination supplied a dozen horrifying answers. Between his curse and his luck, he could practically picture every worst-case scenario unfolding one after another.... That's a problem for future me. For now, his priority was calming Reid down.

"I know," Reid said quietly.

"Just... promise me you'll take care of yourself." Meeting his brother's worried gaze, Evan suspected that Reid's concern probably stemmed from what had happened ten years ago. The Beast Wave and Rift Outbreaks that had claimed their parents had left scars Reid had never truly forgotten.

"... Okay."

Since District 1 was located a considerable distance from the Outskirts, the students first boarded an express train heading south. After arriving in District 11, they would transfer to a bus that would carry them through the barrier and into the Wildlands. The journey was lively from start to finish. Students talked animatedly across the aisles, laughed at each other's jokes, and excitedly discussed the upcoming exercise.

From the way they behaved, it seemed most of them viewed the Frontier Field Exercise as just another academy activity, something to look forward to rather than fear. Evan, on the other hand, could feel his stomach twisting into knots. He did his best to ignore it. After all, this wasn't the same as when he'd been dragged into that B-rank Irregular Rift without warning, back when he barely knew how to deal with a handful of pixies. He was much stronger now.

Even if the worst happened, he could always activate his stealth ability and make a strategic retreat.

"You look like you're chewing on a lemon," Carmen remarked as she turned around in her seat to face Evan and Hiroto behind her.

"Maybe it's because you refuse to act like a decent person and delete those photos," Evan grumbled.

"What photos?" Hiroto asked curiously.

"It's nothing. Forget about it." Evan shot him a firm look, making it clear the conversation was over. Hiroto was a good kid, but there was no way Evan was letting anyone else learn about the existence of those humiliating pictures. Hiroto glanced between Evan's sour expression and Carmen's smug grin before quietly dropping the subject.

"Anyway," he said, "did you hear that Stellaris is going to be this year's Frontier Ambassadors?"

"Yeah," Carmen replied with a nod.

"The government's still doing that Into the Frontier series. Did either of you watch last year's season? It got pretty chaotic."

"I watched a little," Hiroto answered. Evan was at a loss for words. Neither seemed the least bit bothered that a famous idol group would be wandering around the Wildlands with a camera crew during an event centered around fighting monsters. Was he the only one taking this seriously? Before long, the vehicle came to a brief stop at the edge of the Outskirts to wait for a military convoy carrying several government Awakeners, who would escort them to the Frontier Mining Complex.

While they waited, many of the students pressed themselves against the windows, eager to catch a glimpse of the vast Wildlands stretching beyond civilization. From where they were, however, there was little to see. The Outskirts had their own defensive walls, nowhere near as imposing as the Tower's barrier but still high enough to block the view beyond. It wasn't until the convoy passed through the checkpoint and continued along the highway that the wilderness gradually unfolded before them.

From what Evan could see, it was little more than an untamed expanse of forests and rolling grasslands. There wasn't a monster in sight, only the occasional wild animal wandering through the landscape. Considering how close they were to Nova Terra, Evan suspected the lack of monsters was the result of years of work by the government and guilds. The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings. Nearly an hour later, the convoy finally arrived at the Frontier Mining Complex.

The student bus rolled to a stop alongside the military vehicles, and the students eagerly poured outside, excitement written across nearly every face. Evan climbed down after them and looked around. The Frontier Mining Complex was far larger than he expected. Mana-reinforced fences surrounded rows of warehouses, while excavators and dump trucks sat beside towering piles of earth.

The constant rumble of machinery echoed through the valley, leading toward the mine itself, where massive terraces carved deep into the landscape. Government soldiers and Awakeners patrolled the perimeter, keeping a close watch on the surrounding wilderness. The three young women standing beside the camera crew looked rather out of place among all the soldiers and mining equipment. As soon as the students spotted Stellaris, heads immediately turned in their direction.

Their usual stage outfits were gone, replaced by matching practical clothes suited for the Wildlands. Even so, there was no mistaking them for ordinary students.

"Hi, everyone! It's nice to meet you all. We're Stellaris!" the group's leader, the publicly known S-rank Awakener, said with a cheerful wave.

"I'm Lim Yeon-ah."

"And I'm Olivia Hart. We'll be accompanying you throughout this exercise, so I hope we all get along!" the blonde idol said with a smile.

"I'm Ines Delorme. Please take good care of us!" Ines said brightly, her pink braids bouncing as she waved to the students. The students enthusiastically greeted the idols in return, many waving back with broad smiles. Evan, however, couldn't help suspecting that some of their excitement came less from genuine admiration and more from the fact that the cameras were already rolling.

"I see you've all arrived! Welcome to Cedar Grove Mine!" a man in a government uniform called as he approached the students. He was tall, with golden-brown skin, warm brown eyes, and tightly coiled black hair, dressed in a dark blue combat jacket and cargo pants. Hooking a thumb toward his chest, he smiled.

"The name's Darius Grant. I'm an A-rank Awakener, and I'll be your main supervisor for this year's Frontier Field Exercise." His gaze swept across the students before continuing.

"I'm sure you've all been briefed on today's mission, but there's no harm in going over it one more time. The Frontier Field Exercise is designed to give you firsthand experience dealing with Beast Waves under real field conditions. You won't be expected to handle everything on your own. Each team will have adult supervisors assigned to them, but they'll only step in if absolutely necessary. This is still a test, and we want to see how well you work together and solve problems as a unit."

"Yes, sir!" the students replied in unison.

"That's what I like to hear. As for our lovely guests over here," Darius continued with a grin, gesturing toward Stellaris, "they'll be visiting your teams throughout the exercise, so make sure to show your best side." The three idols smiled and waved once more as one of the cameras panned toward them.

"Now then, before we get started, let's see whether any of you were actually paying attention in class." Darius folded his arms and looked across the students.

"First question. Does anyone know what kind of Beast Wave we'll be dealing with?" Reika raised her hand.

"Go ahead."

"Redcaps," she answered confidently.

"They originate from the Ironwood Forest Incursion Zone and usually travel in large groups."

"Exactly," Darius said with an approving nod.

"Annoying little pests. Now then, does anyone know why we intercept them before they reach the Outskirts?" This time, Hiroto raised his hand, earning a brief glare from Reika.

"Because they act as raiders," he replied.

"They target mining convoys and supply routes whenever they get the chance." Darius snapped his fingers.

"Bingo! They're cowards through and through. Instead of charging head-on, they prefer ambushes and causing as much chaos as possible. That's why we deal with them before they get anywhere near the Outskirts." He swept his gaze across the group before asking, "Alright, last question. What's our strategy?" Another student raised a hand.

"We'll search the abandoned structures and known Redcap hideouts in the area, setting up ambushes wherever we expect them to regroup."

"Correct." Darius nodded in satisfaction.

"Looks like you've all been paying attention after all. Let's keep it that way, finish this operation without any unnecessary surprises, and get everyone home safe and sound. Trust me, I'd rather not explain to the academy why I came back with fewer students than I left with." With the mission briefing complete, they wasted no time getting the students moving. The thirty selected participants were divided into five teams, and Evan had a hard time believing the headmaster had arranged the groups by chance.

Seeing himself placed together with Reika, Hiroto, and Carmen felt suspiciously convenient. Were they trying to create some kind of explosive combination just to boost the show's ratings? Evan then glanced at the two idiots who had tried to bully him before, Andrei and Emma. Somehow, they had also ended up on his team. Looking over the group, Evan couldn't shake the feeling that the academy had handed him a ticking time bomb and expected him to make sure it never exploded.

Now that they had entered the Wildlands, the comfortable journey was over. The students left the vehicles behind and continued on foot, carrying their own tents and survival equipment. As Evan glanced back, he saw Stellaris still inside the mining complex, filming whatever content the production crew needed. The smiles on their faces never seemed to disappear. Looks like idols have it rough too, Evan thought. Their team was accompanied by Brooks and a single cameraman tasked with recording their progress.

The dirt path stretched endlessly ahead as they traveled south from Cedar Grove Mine toward an abandoned expansion survey camp marked as a possible Redcap gathering point. As the hours passed, the sun slowly descended toward the horizon, painting the endless grasslands in shades of orange and gold. The gentle wind cooled their heated bodies as they walked, and for a moment, Evan almost forgot they were venturing into a dangerous region where ordinary citizens were forbidden from entering.

Several hours later, they finally reached their destination. As Evan and his group approached the survey camp, the abandoned site slowly emerged between the trees. It sat within a small clearing, a collection of weathered cabins and old facilities that had long since been reclaimed by nature. Moss covered the faded walls, while vines crawled through broken windows and cracks in the structures. At the center stood a larger operations building surrounded by rusting cargo containers and a leaning communications tower.

Scattered equipment and overgrown pathways were the only signs that people had once worked there, leaving behind an eerie silence that made Evan instinctively grow more cautious.

"Alright, we'll start by securing the area first. We'll split into two groups and check for any signs of monsters nearby," Reika said, turning toward them. Evan had no idea when everyone had silently agreed that Reika was the leader, but considering her forceful personality, he wasn't about to argue. He expected her to take the two bullies with her, yet the first person she chose was Hiroto. The boy's eyes lit up with hope, only for Reika to avoid his gaze and call Emma's name next.

In the end, Evan, Carmen, and a visibly displeased Andrei were left to form the other team.

"Follow me," Andrei said, taking the lead while shooting Evan a cold glare.

"And don't be a burden, F-rank." Evan smiled back, though his fingers twitched with the overwhelming urge to introduce Andrei's face to the nearest tree. Unfortunately, the cameraman turned his lens toward them, sensing the beginning of a potential drama segment. Calm down. Murder is bad. Especially when there's a camera recording it, Evan reminded himself.