Princess's Struggle for Survival-Chapter 280: Monster Mountain Range

"Lyra?"

A crisp female voice jolted Lyra out of her reverie. The girl refocused her gaze, her hand gently resting on the desk, her white-stockinged feet like cream popsicles brushing against the carpet, lightly playing with the fibers.

"Huh? What’s up?"

Sensing that Lyra seemed a bit distracted, Astrid brought the teacup lid close to the liquid’s surface, blocking the rising steam, and took a small sip of tea before speaking.

"Even though we both have spatial storage devices, it’s best not to use them too easily during this assessment."

The pure and flawless Sword of Light certainly couldn’t be exposed so soon.

After all, Lyra was only an Early Grand knight, far from being qualified to wield a spatial storage device.

As for Astrid’s ruby pendant, only a few roommates and Countess Charlotte knew of its storage function, so there was no possibility of anyone leaking the secret.

Hidden trump cards can never be too many; they might just save your life at some point.

Lyra nodded slightly upon hearing this, her smooth pink hair sliding over her clothes as she moved.

’I understand.’

If it can be avoided, it’s best not to expose it. Having been with Astrid for so long, Lyra naturally understood the underlying meaning in her words.

"There’s one more thing. I’ve already informed Professor Rowen about the team members for this Monster Mountain Range assessment. The grouping information should be announced tomorrow."

Astrid looked at her reflection in the tea, her long, delicate eyelashes as thin as cicada wings.

"The assessment will last for three days. Once we start, even our resting places will become uncertain. I might have to trouble you to take care of me, Lyra."

Compared to her Early Sorcerer, Lyra had a greater reserve of mental energy and a stronger physique, making her more suitable for clearing out weak enemies.

In a sense, by teaming up with Lyra, Astrid was actually benefiting from the arrangement.

The pink-haired girl agreed, a different kind of emotion suddenly welling up in her heart.

She could finally be of help to Princess Astrid in some ways.

This feeling of being needed was wonderful... especially since the other person was someone she liked...

It was simply fantastic.

After finishing the relevant instructions, Astrid sat in her seat and drank some tea.

Once the cup of black tea was empty, she got up and went to the bathroom, then returned to continue writing her second draft.

Next week, she will be participating in the practical assessment, which will inevitably squeeze the time available for writing.

She could only work harder now.

Seeing Astrid continue writing with her back to her, Lyra slowly withdrew her gaze, unlocked the suitcase under the table, and quietly opened the drawer, ensuring her movements wouldn’t make too much noise and disturb Astrid’s thoughts.

Clean grass to bring... and possibly some bandages...

Having worked as a maid for a year, the habit of considering every detail had taken root in Lyra’s heart.

....

Two days later, at the Elizabeth Academy of Magic.

"Be safe during the assessment, sister..."

"Mm, I will."

Leaning down to plant a kiss on the dark-haired loli’s forehead, Astrid rubbed Amalia’s head and casually petted the cat in the girl’s arms, speaking softly.

"Stay with Elise as much as possible during this time, and wait for me to come back."

Amalia nodded upon hearing this, stood on tiptoe, and kissed Astrid’s cheek, her voice sweet.

"Okay, sister~"

With that, Amalia meaningfully understood the pink-haired girl beside her.

"Lyra... please take good care of my sister for me..."

Feeling the clear red eyes staring silently at her, Lyra felt a strange and inexplicable feeling spreading, especially when Amalia emphasized "my" just now.

It felt like... declaring ownership...

"I will protect Princess Astrid," Lyra replied.

Hearing Lyra’s words, Amalia took another deep look at her, then softly said thank you.

It’s just a few days apart; nothing should happen.

After a brief farewell, Astrid and Lyra left the dormitory and headed towards the east gate of the Elizabeth Academy of Magic, where the carriage that would take them to the Monster Mountain Range was already prepared.

Arriving at the main gate, many students stood in the open space beside it with their luggage. The teachers responsible for maintaining order arranged the carriages one by one according to the pairings.

"Astrid, is the Monster Mountain Range far from the capital?"

Sitting in the carriage, seeing that it was equipped with a dining table, food, and water besides the seats, Lyra spoke softly, one hand holding the suitcase and the other gripping a sword wrapped in black cloth.

Astrid put down her luggage and casually replied, "Mm, the Monster Mountain Range is in the western part of the empire. It will take about two days and one night to get there from here, with a night’s rest at an inn in between."

In other words, the entire assessment would take nearly a week.

Lyra’s mouth opened slightly in surprise at this.

She had originally thought it would take at most half a day to get there.

It seemed she would have a long time alone with Princess Astrid on this journey.

Her gaze fell on the dining table in front of her. Lyra placed the sword down and touched at the silver-haired beauty across the table, her pink lips tightening slightly.

Since their destination was the Monster Mountain Range, most of the time ahead will be spent fighting monsters.

Therefore, the elaborate court dresses and high heels that accentuated the legs were not suitable for now. Today, Astrid had changed into a more practical outfit.

She wore a pure white short-sleeved shirt paired with a pink shawl adorned with honeysuckle patterns.

The fabric was thin, perfectly highlighting the wearer’s curvaceous figure. A sapphire brooch near the left chest adds a touch of mystery and nobility.

Below, she wore a light-colored skirt that didn’t reach her knees, with leather boots covering her calves and revealing the soft skin wrapped in transparent stockings above.

For convenience, Astrid had tied her long, straight silver hair with a ribbon, letting it fall naturally down her back instead of letting it scatter over her shoulders.

If the third princess, dressed in black, was usually a dignified and elegant gem of the empire, then at this moment, she resembled a resilient water lily, looking both beautiful and heroic, yet not lacking in feminine softness.

Princess Astrid is always radiant, no matter the time or attire.

Once again feeling the overwhelming beauty of the empire’s top beauty, Lyra stretched her legs, her white boot tips gently tapping under the table.

Come to think of it... she had never felt her heart race for any other girl besides Princess Astrid...

So, did she like girls in general, or only Astrid Calliste?

This random question flashed through her mind, and Lyra unconsciously fell into deep thought.

Wait... was she the kind of bad girl who liked someone just because they were beautiful?

The carriage moved smoothly. Since it was carrying the future pillars of the empire, noble and powerful mages the carriage was equipped with ice attribute crystals for cooling. Despite it being the scorching mid-June weather, the interior felt pleasantly cool.

Lyra looked up at Astrid across the table, gazing at her delicate and perky nose, her soft pink lips, and the lazy aura inadvertently exuding from her features, her ears burning once more.

No, no...

In terms of beauty, Elise was not much inferior, but she had never felt that heart-pounding sensation.

The light from outside the window fell on Astrid’s exquisite and charming collarbone. Lyra quickly lowered her head, not daring to look any longer.

She shouldn’t be... that shallow, right?

After an unknown amount of time, the carriage left Capital and drove along the wide road. Lyra watched the quickly receding fields and trees outside the carriage, her mood gradually calming.

"By the way, Princess Astrid."

Thinking of the long journey of two days and one night, Lyra spoke gently.

"Couldn’t the Fearless be used to transport people?"

If such a magical flying device were used to carry students, perhaps the entire assessment wouldn’t take so long.

Astrid opened her eyes upon hearing this, her crimson eyes like clear and transparent red crystals.

"It will definitely be faster than a carriage, but the corresponding transportation cost will also be higher."

After all, it uses wind element crystals, and the cost of completing a single transport was quite high.

"However, the Fearless is just an Early attempt. In the future, there might be more cost-effective and magical convenient transportation devices," Astrid said.

Conquering the skies, crossing mountains and abysses, perhaps "might" wasn’t the right word. More efficient transportation tools will definitely appear within a decade.

At least, based on the information Astrid knew, Charlotte was already researching ways to optimize ship structures and energy transmission. It was only a matter of time before a breakthrough was made.

After listening to Astrid, Lyra nodded gently.

She hoped the related magical devices could achieve a breakthrough soon, so she could return home faster and more conveniently.

Moreover, she quite liked the feeling of soaring through the skies.

After chatting casually for a while, Lyra leaned back against the carriage, feeling the slight bumps. Having stayed up excitedly until dawn last night, her somewhat weary mind began now to feel drowsy.

The wheels rolled over the dust, and a line of carriages like ants moved along the center of the road, slowly heading towards their destination.

...

Two days later, in a small town near the Monster Mountain Range in the western part of the empire, Astrid and Lyra sat in a temporary inn, listening to the academy professor explaining the general situation of the mountain range and the corresponding assessment methods.

The Monster Mountain Range, originally named the Trek Mountain Range, was famous in the Valeria Empire for its dense forests and numerous monsters. As a border of the empire, it was sparsely populated and a relatively dangerous area for commoners.

Of course, danger often means high rewards. Every year, some hunters risk their lives to hunt monsters, hoping to make a fortune from their magical materials.

Their outcomes were usually entering alive and exiting injured, with a few mediocre and greedy individuals even staying in the mountain range forever, their bodies never to be found.

"The destination for our assessment is the outskirts of the Monster Mountain Range, specifically within the following range."

Using arcane particles, the professor on stage created a light blue three-dimensional screen, displaying the full view of the Monster Mountain Range.

"As you can see, this is a winding ridge extending westward. We will start from the foot of the mountain and move inward."

Grasslands, forests, lakes... the Monster Mountain Range on the screen was divided by several different terrains.

Since the professor had created the cross-sectional view based on an aerial perspective, the details were somewhat general, providing only a rough division of the internal regions of the mountain range to help students hunt monsters.

"This is the area where second to third-tier Flame-tailed Foxes frequently appear. They are solitary creatures, and their soft, smooth fur is very suitable as a lining for armor."

"...Next to it is the territory of third-tier Ghost Wolves. These wolves, with their sharp teeth and claws, prefer to live in groups and are quite dangerous. It is recommended to hunt them with caution."

The Valeria Empire officially defines the levels of monsters based on the scale of elemental particles they can manipulate, with a total of twelve tiers, each corresponding to a small level of mages or knights.

For example, a first-tier monster corresponds to an apprentice mage, a fourth-tier monster corresponds to an early Sorcerer, and so on. Tenth-tier and above monsters even possess the strength of Arcanist mages, capable of casting world-destroying super-tier spells.

However, unlike humans, these monsters with lower intelligence do not rely on mental energy to cast spells but instead use the naturally formed magic crystals within their bodies.

Based on this, they do not need to chant incantations and can release spells more quickly.

First to fifth-tier monsters, due to their weaker strength, do not have mature magic crystals within their bodies but rather a more primitive magical embryo without a shell.

After the monster dies, the elemental particles inside quickly dissolve, so they cannot be utilized. Thus, these embryonic forms of magic crystals have no practical value but are perfect for scoring.

"The magical embryo of a first-tier monster is worth one point, a second-tier is worth three points, and it increases to eight points, fifteen points, and thirty points respectively."

Since this batch of participants were all freshmen, most of the pairs could at most hunt fifth-tier monsters corresponding to the middle stage Sorcerer. Therefore, the professor only mentioned the thirty-point category before pausing and continuing after a while.

"As for the fifth-tier and above, these monsters already have magic crystals and are far stronger than ordinary monsters. So if any of you manage to hunt one, remember to bring the magic crystal and sufficient proof of the prey’s identity. After the assessment, the score will be calculated based on the difficulty of the hunt."

There were quite a few geniuses this year, with Class S even having a prodigy who reached middle Sorcerer level by the end of the first semester. They might be able to work together to hunt a sixth-tier monster.

"However, it’s best for everyone to act within their capabilities, with safety as the top priority."

With that, the professor pointed to a protruding rock on the light screen.

"Beyond this point to the west is no longer the outskirts of the mountain range, and the monsters inside will be even stronger."

"For your safety, no matter what happens, you must never enter that area."

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