The Villainess Who Was Dumped Got Married into My Family, a Mob Noble from the Frontier, and Turns Out, She's an Amazing Capable Wife? - Chapter 49: Boot Camp Begins

Chapter 49: Boot Camp Begins

Getting back from deep within the mountains without any magical energy was a real struggle. 

It’s like the saying goes, easy to go but hard to return. Or maybe not.

Although I’m still a bit tired, summer vacation is short, so there’s no time to rest.

That’s why I brought Mariana and Alicia with me to the entrance of the Ydaina mountain range dungeon. 

We’re here to conduct the boot camp we talked about at the academy. 

This isn’t basic training, but a super practical Brave-style program.

It’s the kind of training that blurs the line between life and death.

“This place is as rugged as ever… I’m exhausted…”

“Huff, huff, just getting to the dungeon… I can’t walk anymore…” 

At the entrance of a cave that opened up in the rocky surface, Alicia wipes sweat with her jersey sleeve, while Mariana sits on the ground, completely spent.

Seeing Mariana’s exhaustion, it’s clear that Alicia, who had received excellent education in swordsmanship and magic, indeed has remarkable stamina.

For ordinary people living in the capital, just walking through the Ydaina mountains is tough.

“Alicia, I, I need a lap pillow, please help me.”

“Don’t be so clingy. I’m barely hanging on myself.” 

“No wayyy.” 

Really, she’s too spoiled?

Holding her head, Mariana has been too dependent on Alicia lately. 

Dependency isn’t good.

“Sigh, I’m tired. This time, I couldn’t get Ragna to lead me with a hand.”

Alicia puffs her cheeks a bit and glares at me with a reproachful look.

“No spoiling, no spoiling.”

This time, I’ll just have to painfully let it slide. 

Those who depend too much will be the first to go in the Ydaina mountain range.

Obviously, I can’t be all lovey-dovey and holding hands in front of Mariana. 

We are in a clean and proper relationship, after all!

“Both of you, this year’s mountain is easier because there are fewer monsters.”

We thinned them out before coming to the academy, and since Onyx preys on them, there are fewer monsters around.

Normally, we’d be attacked by now. But inside the dungeon, regardless of thinning, there are lots of monsters, and it’s tough because they swarm out.

“If we falter at this, we’ll die, so let’s go with enthusiasm.”

“If I’m going to die, I at least want my last coffee…”

“Don’t talk like that. It’s not going to happen, obviously.” 

Alicia looks at me, but I just look up at the sky.

“If you’re not careful, you can die in the Ydaina mountains.” 

This is a truth that not even threats like a collar can shake. 

They say a lion drops its cub into a deep valley, but honestly, I don’t plan to go that far. 

I’m doing this with a safety margin, but I say it like this because I want them to be aware they could really die.

But is it problematic to act as if death is a given? 

Well, anyway, if it seems like they’re going to die, they’ll try to live, because that’s the nature of living beings. So, let’s be heartless about it. 

“Shall we go in, then?” 

“Ragna, you seem more lively than usual…” 

“Sir Ragna, your smile is scary…”

And so, we stepped into the somewhat dark cave, heading into one of the easier cave-type dungeons in the Ydaina mountain range, known as the “Nest of Madness.” 

By the way, I haven’t told the two of them the name of the dungeon.

“Hah… I thought we’d start with something more like sightseeing…” 

“There’s nothing like that here.”

“Nothing at all.”

Mariana’s muttering got the same response from both me and Alicia.

“Fuheee…”

This is the Brave territory, you know?

◇

“Woow~! I thought it was just an ordinary cave at first, but it’s really a proper dungeon!” 

Mariana, who had been downcast at the entrance, changed completely once inside. 

She started moving around with a lantern in one hand, her breathing rough, continuously pushing her glasses up, making me wonder if they might break from reduced durability.

“…It’s dark, isn’t it?” 

On the other hand, Alicia stuck close behind me, looking around cautiously. 

Hmm, gap moe?

I never expected Alicia, who usually exudes a combination of nobility, bravery, and delicacy, to act like this.

“Let’s dig up some soil to take home.” 

Bang, bang, bang. 

Alicia got mad at Mariana, who started hitting the wall with a shovel, just like she did in the academy’s dungeon.

“This isn’t a sightseeing trip, Mariana!”

“Eh, but dungeon soil…”

She sounded like a kid who wanted a souvenir but didn’t have the money to buy one. 

It seems there are tourist spots even in Brave territory. 

Though it’s a dungeon. 

A super dangerous tourist destination for ordinary people.

“You know, you did something like this before and fell into a trap, right?”

“Oh, that’s right… I’m sorry…” 

Mariana looked downcast, but the sight of her continuing to hit the wall with a shovel, her glasses reflecting the light from the lantern, was honestly crazy. 

I think it’s better to stop, regardless of the danger.

“Ragna, what kind of dangers are there? If you don’t at least give us some basic knowledge, I don’t think this will count as training.” 

“It’s just dark so far, nothing else.”

The Nest of Madness first welcomes people with pitch darkness, and then there’s an open space beyond that, where the real challenge begins.

Like an ant nest, there are many paths branching off to the next space, and then branching off again to another space, in a continuous pattern.

And then, there are giant ant monsters patrolling in large numbers. 

From normal ants to types with wings or big jaws, there are many kinds of ants, and it’s said somewhere a queen ant continuously produces worker ants.

“I’ll exterminate them, if it’s bugs!” 

“Hiiie, bugs… I’m not good with them.”

Suddenly, Alicia’s eyes are alight with fighting spirit, while Mariana becomes timid. 

These two are complete opposites.

As expected of the former protagonist and the former villain.

“So, our goal for today is this. Since the worker ants aren’t that strong despite their numbers, we’ll use them as practice targets to help both of you learn how to use magic without chanting.” 

“Really? Then, it might not be so dangerous, right? Ragna, you’ll teach us the tricks to casting without chanting beforehand, won’t you?”

“Yes. I’ll show you how magicians do it.” 

“Wow! I tried to use magic without chanting on my own but couldn’t do it, so this will really help!” 

“Haha, it does require a bit of a trick, you know?”

Chanting is like a manual for magic. 

Just by infusing magic into words, the amount, density, shape, and speed of the magic are constructed as determined. 

Chantless means deciding everything in your head without a manual, which allows for more freedom but won’t activate if not constructed properly. 

Ideally, you should start with easy magic and try through trial and error, but we don’t have time for that, so we’ll skip straight to practicing with monsters.

It’s like, do it or die.

It’s similar to how you can solve problems incredibly fast when you really need to go to the washroom during a test.

I mean, anyone could think of that, right?

I think it’s because school education focuses so much on chanting. 

That’s why they end up weak. 

“Ah, and just so you know, you can’t go back until you can do it.”

Not just being able to activate magic without chanting, but constructing chantless magic that can keep you alive is the condition.

Their faces when I told them were just incredible.

Like, are they even women…?