The Spark of Ambition, Part Eight

{Cara}

{Tuesday}

The teachers were called in for a meeting just before Maria was set to take final stock of all the students who would be heading out on that mission. Cara was in her office, organizing some reports in a folder before she stood up and went to walk out.

Honestly, that mission had left a sour feeling in her mouth.

Simply put, there was a lot of strangeness surrounding kobolds at the moment. Lately, more and more adventurers were reporting that it seemed some kobolds were learning things that they had no business knowing. Whether that be in the form of spells or battle tactics, there was clearly something hiding under the surface that no one, apparently, was aware of.

Of course, that was without even taking into account Rin's own experience with them, which Cara had been there to witness.

Not a day went by that Cara didn't wonder how exactly those kobolds had learned the [Teleportation] spell. She wasn't the only one, either. Without telling them, eyes were being kept on the Mages Guild by both the Adventurer's Guild and Cradle's government, but no one had found anything to connect them to Rin's disappearance beyond the use of that spell, which, although it was created by the Mages Guild, theoretically any mage could have taught it to the kobolds.

Still, anytime Cara saw any mention of the Mages Guild in the news, her brows would narrow.

She put that aside for now, though, as she needed to get to that meeting. She closed up her office and walked down the halls, passing by a few students, on her way to the dean's office. Once there, she walked in and found that she was the last of the teachers to arrive, with the exception of Carliah who wouldn't be attending the meeting anyway, as this was outside her field.

"Ah, Cara," Mannon, the dean, said. "Good, we can get started."

Maria made sure to toss an angry glare her way, as always, before Cara went to the opposite side of the room and stood by Harriton, while Mannon kept speaking.

"Now, about this mission, Maria, could you run it by me again?" Mannon asked.

"Certainly," Maria replied, with a professional voice. "A group of Rank C adventurers will be conducting a raid on a fortress overrun with kobolds. On behalf of the guildmaster, they have extended the offer that some of the students are allowed to come with them and spectate the mission, to learn from it and see a real mission play out. The students would not participate in the battle directly. They would only be there to observe. In addition, they would not have to hunt either. Food will be provided to them by the other adventurers."

"Right," Mannon nodded. "On its own, it's not a bad offer at all. Food will be given to them, and they won't even have to fight. It's more akin to a regular school field trip rather than anything the Academy would normally have them do. However, there is, of course, a simple element that must be taken into account."

Maria said it for him.

"Randomness," she said.

"Exactly. Even if they are not meant to fight, a kobold could always lay its eyes on them, and in doing so, they would be put in harm's way. Not just that, but, what happened with our dear student Rin is not to be forgotten."

Harriton elaborated on what he was saying right now.

"Indeed," the Essence teacher stated, "it is speculated that, if some mage forces are teaching kobolds new magic, then they could be doing the same with any of the other humanoid, slightly smarter, beasts out there. However, kobolds are confirmed to be... 'compromised', shall we say."

Mannon nodded slowly.

"Until we find out exactly what circumstances led to Rin's disappearance, we cannot be certain that any kobold we run into is not to be like the ones Cara and her student ran into. As such, I have come to a decision."

[Hm?] Cara raised a brow. [A decision about what? Is he not going to allow them to go on the mission?] She wondered, but it would soon be made clear that this was not what he had in mind at all.

"Regardless of how many of them go on this journey, I would have one of you join them," he stated, and Cara was surprised. "To act as insurance."

Maria cleared her throat and quickly stood up.

"I would very much like to oversee this affair," she stated, as pretty much everyone in that room knew she would the moment Mannon said that.

However, he shook his head.

"Can't have that," he said, and Maria blinked twice, as though that was the last thing she expected to hear. "You're our strongest, and, of course, if an emergency were to happen suddenly, we can't have you be out there in the middle of a spectating mission."

An "emergency" in this case could be a great many things. A dragon attack (even if Maria would likely turn that down), a lich king spotted in a ruin nearby, a hydra taking up residence in a lake. If any of these things were to come to pass, Maria would be the first person all eyes turned toward.

"B-But..." Maria said.

"I know, I know," Mannon raised his hands defensively. "But, you understand that this is always something that could happen. Randomness. That very element we just spoke about. It always needs to be taken into account, and you are our best weapon against it."

Maria opened her mouth as if to speak out, but closed it soon again.

In truth, Mannon was right, even if Maria hadn't fought anything truly strong in years.

"Well," Harriton smiled and spoke up next. "I guess I could take a couple of days off for-"

"No," Mannon shook his head. "Your skills are exceptional but limited. In the event that anything were to go truly wrong, your physical capabilities would be in question. No offense, of course."

"Ergh-" Harriton's brows reached the ceiling, as he was stunned to hear that.

"Hmph. Well, if physical capabilities are what you want-" Eli began to state, but Mannon shook his head again.

"You have the exact opposite problem Harriton has. If, for example, a kobold were to somehow know Rank A tier magic, then you would not be able to do much against it," Mannon said.

And, of course, because they weren't about to throw Carliah into all of this, that left one candidate.

"No," Maria protested. "S-Sir, you can't be serious! Not after what happened with Rin! Are you forgetting that it was under her protection that this occurred!"

As for Cara herself, she just stood there, shocked.

"In part," Mannon elaborated, "I am sending Cara out with them precisely because this happened. She saw these... 'compromised' kobolds firsthand. She will know what she's up against should any of them be at that fortress."

"But, sir, Harriton would be just as well-equipped to-"

Mannon cut her off.

"I've already let the adventurers know," he declared. "They are expecting Cara already. It's done. Don't worry," he added. "I, for one, do not believe Cara to be the type to make the same mistake twice."

The entire time, Cara never spoke. Her very foundation was shaken, as Maria looked back and forth between Mannon and her, before then storming out the room.

"Hm... Well then," Harriton said, his smile never leaving his face. "I suppose I should get back to my studies."

Eli left as well, without a word, and now, Cara and Mannon were the only ones remaining.

"I don't envy you," Mannon said. "If looks could kill Maria would see you full of daggers before you leave the city."

"... Sir," Cara stepped forward. "Why me? Seriously."

She added that last part in because she actually agreed with Maria. Maria herself could obviously not be spared for something like this in case of an emergency, and Eli was too limited, but Harriton could probably keep the students safe all on his own.

So, why had he picked her?

"Ah, well, for one simple reason," Mannon then told her. "There's too much distrust surrounding you as a result of what happened. Most of it, of course, comes from Maria, but still." He shrugged. "It's not good for the Academy's morale for one of the teachers to be doubted like this. So, I'm giving you this chance because I want that distrust to be gone. But," he raised a hand, "that requires one thing."

"... For me not to mess up again," Cara said. "I understand."

"Exactly," Mannon nodded. "I'm trying to give your reputation a second chance here. Let everyone, Maria specifically, know that what happened with Rin was just a fluke. And, then, hopefully, this animosity between the two of you can be dealt with."

Just like that, Cara walked out of the room, with her shoulders feeling much heavier than before.

[... You don't know, though,] Cara thought. [That animosity will always be there. Regardless of what I do.]