The Laziest God Mortal Reincarnation

Chapter 90: This Was Better Than Charging

( James Vellaroux’s POV )

Sophie Trohan was irritating.

Not personally.

That would have been simpler.

She was irritating because Class Three reached the convergence point before mine.

I had expected them to be slower.

No SS-potential student.

Less combat-focused than Class Two.

And they had started inside a fog-covered forest that apparently altered directions whenever it felt like being difficult.

Yet when Class Two finally reached the rocky valley where our routes converged, Sophie and her people were already there.

Not merely waiting.

Prepared.

Three scouts occupied elevated rocks overlooking the eastern and western approaches.

Two more students stood watch near the road.

Water containers had been filled and arranged beside a temporary resting area.

Several injured students were receiving treatment.

And in the middle of it all, someone had dragged a flat slab of stone into the clearing and covered it with maps.

I stopped at the edge of the camp.

Tristan stopped beside me.

"Well."

I looked at him.

"Don’t."

"I didn’t say anything."

"You were going to."

He smiled.

Annoying.

Sophie noticed us almost immediately.

She stood over the map with two classmates, her brown hair tied back and several strands loose around her face. The moment she saw Class Two approaching, she straightened and waved.

"You’re late."

I stared at her.

"We fought an army."

"We fought a forest."

"Forests don’t fight."

Her smile widened.

"This one did."

I considered arguing.

Then remembered the Mirage Hermit was responsible for the examination.

Fair.

I walked into the camp.

My eyes moved automatically.

Thirty-six members of Class Three remained.

One elimination.

Only one.

Good.

That was good.

Better than us.

That was less good.

Three members of Class Two had already been eliminated at the fortress because I had tried to respond to every problem personally.

Thirty-five remained.

The comparison bothered me.

Which meant Father would probably call it educational.

That bothered me more.

"Five minutes," I said.

Several Class Two students immediately started checking weapons and drinking water.

Sophie tilted her head.

"Five minutes until what?"

"We move."

"Why?"

I looked at her.

"Because standing around isn’t getting us closer to the Citadel."

"That’s not what I asked."

I glanced at the map.

"Elizabeth and Daphne are moving toward us from the northwest and south. Class Five is farther east."

"And?"

"We move west and meet Elizabeth and Daphne farther along the route."

Sophie looked at me for a second.

Then she pointed at the map.

"Bad idea."

I frowned.

"Why?"

Her finger traced a red mark running through the western valley.

"Monster migration."

I leaned closer.

The route I intended to use cut directly through it.

"Recent?"

"Very."

"How recent?"

"Less than twenty minutes."

I looked toward the rocks.

One of Class Three’s scouts was crouched near the highest point, watching the western ridge.

"Your scouts?"

"Perception specialists."

Of course.

I studied the map again.

Sophie pointed toward another path curving southwest before reconnecting with the main road.

"This route avoids the migration."

"Longer."

"By twelve minutes."

"That’s nothing."

"Exactly."

I looked at her.

She looked back.

Right.

That had been her point.

I returned my attention to the map.

If I had been alone, I would have taken the western road.

It was wider.

More direct.

Better terrain for combat.

Class Two had weapons from the fortress.

Armor.

Shields.

Strong combat students.

Tristan.

Me.

We could probably break through the migration.

Probably.

My eyes moved toward the people behind me.

Thirty-five.

Three fewer than when the examination started.

The boy near the armory came to mind.

Calling for help while I was somewhere else killing something.

Then another.

Then the third.

All because I had assumed that if a problem appeared, the correct answer was for me to solve it.

I looked at Sophie’s route.

Twelve minutes.

That was the cost.

No glory.

No unnecessary fight.

No reason not to take it.

"Your route."

Sophie blinked.

"What?"

"We take your route."

She stared at me for a moment.

Then smiled.

"That was easier than expected."

"Don’t make me reconsider."

Her smile widened.

Terrible.

Behind me, Tristan coughed.

Suspiciously close to laughter.

I turned.

He immediately looked toward the sky.

Coward.

"Five minutes," I repeated. "Then we move."

Sophie nodded.

"Agreed."

That was when the ground shook.

Everyone stopped.

The vibration traveled through my boots before the sound arrived.

A deep roar rolled across the valley.

I turned east.

Sophie slowly looked toward the ridge.

"I think the migration changed direction."

Of course it did.

The first creature appeared between two rocks.

Then another.

Then six.

Then enough that counting became unnecessary.

Dozens poured over the ridge.

Wolf-like beasts with black hides.

Larger four-legged creatures behind them.

Two enormous shapes moved farther back, each nearly three meters tall.

Class Two reacted immediately.

Weapons came free.

Swords.

Spears.

Axes.

Shields moved forward.

Good.

The fortress had given us exactly what we needed for this.

My hand closed around my sword.

Light gathered faintly along the edge.

I stepped forward.

Then stopped.

The old response had been immediate.

Enemy ahead.

Move first.

Break the strongest point.

Kill whatever threatens the formation.

Let everyone else follow.

It had worked most of my life.

Because most of my life I had fought beside trained guards, instructors, knights, or Father.

People who already understood what to do.

Thirty-five first-year students were different.

And now there were thirty-six Class Three students beside them.

Different attributes.

Different equipment.

Different strengths.

Different weaknesses.

Sophie stepped beside me.

"You have the weapons."

"We do."

"We have better scouts."

"I know."

"So?"

I looked at her.

She waited.

I understood what she meant.

Unfortunately.

I looked toward the ridge.

The monsters had another forty seconds before reaching us.

Enough.

"Your scouts identify movement and call priority targets."

Sophie nodded immediately.

"Class Three takes range and control."

"Class Two forms the front."

"Agreed."

I turned.

"Tristan."

He was already holding his spear.

Lightning crawled along the metal.

"Left side?"

"Yes. Take eight."

He nodded.

"John."

The student responsible for our remaining weapons looked over.

"Shields center. Put the heavier fighters behind them."

"Understood."

"Anyone injured from the fortress stays second line."

One student started to object.

I pointed at him.

"No."

His mouth closed.

Good.

I looked toward Sophie.

"Can your Ice users restrict the sides?"

She looked toward three students.

"Yes."

"Do it. Force them toward the center."

Her expression changed slightly.

Approval.

I didn’t need approval.

Probably.

"Lightning users?"

"Four besides me."

"Save wide attacks until they’re grouped."

She nodded.

Then she looked past me.

"There’s a second group moving along the northern slope."

One of her scouts shouted from the rock.

"Twenty-three! Fast!"

I turned.

I hadn’t seen them.

That was the point.

"Two ranged teams north," Sophie ordered. "Do not engage until they pass the broken tree."

Her classmates moved.

No debate.

Interesting.

She had changed too.

The Sophie from earlier reports probably would have asked three people whether the broken tree was the best marker.

This Sophie simply chose.

The first line of monsters was close now.

Thirty seconds.

I moved toward the center.

My instincts immediately began arranging the fight around myself.

Center was largest threat.

I could cut through the first wave.

Use Space to appear behind the larger beast.

Light through the neck.

Return before the second line hit.

Efficient.

Familiar.

I almost said:

’I’ll take center.’

Instead.

"Six with me in the center."

Tristan looked over from the left flank.

Then smiled.

I pointed at him.

"Don’t."

"I didn’t say anything."

"You were thinking it."

"Thinking isn’t against the rules."

"Yet."

Sophie laughed.

I ignored her.

Twenty seconds.

I looked at the six students around me.

Two swordsmen.

One shield user.

A Fire mage.

A Force user.

One Earth mage.

"Shield first. Earth, disrupt footing. Force hits anything that breaks through. Fire waits until they’re grouped. Swords with me."

They nodded.

Good.

Simple.

No speeches.

Ten seconds.

The monsters charged.

"Hold."

Several students tightened their grips.

"Hold."

The distance collapsed.

I could hear claws striking stone.

Five seconds.

"Now."

Earth erupted.

The valley floor broke beneath the first row of creatures.

Several stumbled.

The shield line met the rest.

The impact shoved students backward.

But the line held.

"Push!"

Class Two answered.

Steel moved forward.

I stepped between two shields and swung.

Light extended from my blade.

One creature lost its head.

Another lunged from the side.

My body started to turn.

"Mine!"

The swordsman beside me intercepted it.

Steel entered beneath the creature’s jaw.

It fell.

Good.

I moved forward.

Another monster.

Slash.

Step.

Thrust.

Space folded.

I crossed three meters instantly and drove my sword through a larger creature’s shoulder.

It twisted toward me.

Normally, I would have finished it.

Instead.

"Force!"

The student behind me reacted.

Invisible pressure slammed into the creature.

It flew sideways.

Three arrows from Class Three struck before it hit the ground.

Dead.

Efficient.

I disliked how efficient that was.

"RIGHT SIDE!" a scout shouted.

I turned.

Seven creatures were moving around Tristan’s flank.

I started to use Space.

Then stopped.

Tristan was there.

His spear rotated.

Lightning exploded.

Two creatures dropped.

The other six students around him closed the opening.

He did not need me.

That should have been obvious.

I looked forward again.

"SOUTH RIDGE! LARGE TARGET!"

Sophie shouted this time.

I saw it.

One of the three-meter creatures charged down the slope.

Armored shoulders.

Thick skull.

Too heavy for the normal line.

Now that was mine.

I moved.

Space folded.

The world shifted.

I appeared directly above it.

Light gathered along my sword.

I drove the blade downward.

The creature twisted at the last moment.

My sword cut through its shoulder instead of its neck.

It roared.

A massive arm swung toward me.

Space.

I shifted aside.

The strike passed through empty air.

I landed behind it.

My blade came up.

Then ice covered the creature’s rear legs.

It stumbled.

I looked across the battlefield.

Sophie stood twenty meters away, one hand extended.

"You’re welcome!"

I stared.

A monster tried to bite her.

Lightning dropped it.

She looked back at me.

"Focus!"

Right.

Terrible woman.

I stepped forward.

Light flashed.

The creature’s head separated.

One large target down.

I immediately searched for the next problem.

Center line stable.

Left stable.

Northern group pinned by Ice.

Ranged students functioning.

Healer position protected.

No breach.

Nobody calling my name.

For half a second, I had nothing to personally fix.

It felt wrong.

Then the second large monster broke through the right flank.

Better.

I moved.

Not alone.

"Four with me!"

This time the words came without hesitation.

We intercepted it together.

Earth trapped one foot.

A spear struck its knee.

I cut across its chest.

Fire exploded against its side.

It turned toward the mage.

I used Space, appeared between them, and caught its claw against my blade.

The impact drove my boots into the dirt.

Good.

Strong.

Finally.

I pushed back.

"Now!"

Three attacks hit at once.

The creature collapsed.

I stepped away.

No one dead.

No one even badly injured.

Good.

The remaining monsters began breaking formation.

Sophie saw it too.

"Don’t chase!"

Several Class Three students stopped immediately.

I looked toward Class Two.

Two of mine had already started forward.

"Hold formation!"

They stopped.

Old me would have chased.

Broken the retreating group.

Reduced future threats.

Possibly walked straight into whatever else waited beyond the ridge.

I looked toward Sophie’s scouts.

One of them raised a hand.

"Movement beyond the ridge!"

Of course.

"How many?" Sophie asked.

"Too many!"

I looked at her.

She looked at me.

"Still want to chase?"

"No."

"Growth."

"Don’t."

She smiled.

The remaining monsters disappeared over the rocks.

Silence slowly returned.

I lowered my sword.

Around me, students checked themselves.

One broken shield.

Several cuts.

A bruised shoulder.

Two mana-depleted students.

No disappearances.

I counted Class Two.

Thirty-five.

Again.

Thirty-five.

Then Class Three.

Thirty-six.

Still thirty-six.

Nobody lost.

Tristan approached, spear resting across one shoulder.

"That went well."

"Yes."

"You didn’t try to fight the entire migration alone."

"I fought plenty."

"That’s not what I said."

I looked at him.

He smiled.

I considered hitting him.

Unnecessary.

Probably.

Sophie walked toward us.

She looked around the battlefield.

"Nobody eliminated."

"I noticed."

"Seventy-one students against a monster migration and nobody eliminated."

"Yes."

She smiled.

"That’s good."

Obviously.

I wiped blood from my sword.

Most of it was not mine.

"Your scouts were useful."

Her eyebrows rose.

"Was that a compliment?"

"An observation."

"You and Daphne would get along."

"I already regret this conversation."

She laughed.

I sheathed the sword.

The fight had felt different.

Slower in places.

Messier.

I hadn’t controlled every exchange.

Several creatures had died without me touching them.

Several problems had been solved before I could reach them.

Tristan had handled the left.

Sophie had controlled the ranged teams.

Her scouts had seen threats I missed.

My center group had responded without waiting for me to perform everything personally.

And nobody had been eliminated.

Very irritating.

Because that meant Tristan had been right.

Father had probably been right too.

Worse.

I looked toward the road.

"Three minutes."

Sophie blinked.

"I thought we had five."

"We used them fighting."

"That is not how breaks work."

"It is now."

Several students groaned.

I ignored them.

Sophie looked at the exhausted students.

Then at me.

"Five."

"Four."

"Five."

"Four."

She smiled.

"You’re learning compromise."

I stared at her.

"Four and a half."

Her smile became unbearable.

"Deal."

I walked away before she could say anything else.

Behind me, Tristan laughed.

I did not turn around.

There were monsters in this examination.

The Mirage Hermit.

A princess who treated conversations like negotiations.

A girl who had somehow made a forest obey her.

And apparently my greatest enemy was becoming the kind of leader everyone had spent years telling me I needed to become.

I preferred the monsters.